Two of the most trustworthy sources for news about the Switch before Nintendo unveiled it were Emily Rogers and Laura Kate Dale. They both highlighted a few details regarding the console and its games, so people definitely paid attention when they claimed that there was a Mario + Rabbids game in the works.
Unfortunately, some of their claims turned out to be false, so many considered the reports of this weird combo to be wrong as well. Well, a third (and reputable) source has now joined them in confirming that the game is indeed real.
Jason Schreier from Kotaku has received assets that confirm the existence of what's called Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. He's been asked not to share the assets but can reveal a few interesting details.
First of all, the game is being developed by one of Ubisoft's studios, and it'll use their proprietary Snowdrop engine (used in games such as The Division and South Park: The Fractured but Whole). The turn-based RPG will apparently include eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, and four Rabbids dressed up as them.
However, you shouldn't expect a serious RPG with a deep story, as one of the game's selling points appears to be the Rabbids franchise's goofy sense of humour. With Nintendo's focus on local multiplayer, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the game also boasts two-player local co-op.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is said to be slated for a release on Switch in August or September, so we're guessing Nintendo planned to reveal it during E3. It'll be interesting to see if they stay on schedule or if the leak pushes things forward.
Does this sound like an interesting combination?