From Mario to machine guns: how Ubisoft Paris made Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Tactics

The studio is swapping the Mushroom Kingdom’s vivid palette for the blood-soaked grit of military action series Where do you go after Mario? It’s a question the team at Ubisoft Paris found itself pondering three years ago after wrapping up work on the charming turn-based tactics adventure, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope , sequel to its unexpected crossover hit, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.

By melding a rather specialist genre with video gaming’s biggest household name, the developer introduced chin-stroking strategic play to a whole new audience.

“ Having the opportunity to work with the Mario franchise was a privilege, and it’s still something I’m very proud of,” says level designer director, Julien Vial.

“I still remember seeing the first prototype and being blown away by all the possibilities . ” Now, Ubisoft Paris has returned with a new project, but this time the studio is swapping the Mushroom Kingdom’s vivid palette for the blood-soaked grit of military action series Rainbow Six.

Where Mario and Rabbids saw squishy creatures bounce harmlessly across levels as Mario encased foes in honey, Rainbow Six Tactics, a turn-based tactical spin-off from Rainbow Six Siege , sees balaclava-clad insurgents take shrapnel rounds to the chest.

A seamless tonal shift, then.

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