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Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope release date appears on Ubisoft store

Set to brighten your October.

Ubisoft briefly published a 20th October release date for its promising-looking Nintendo Switch sequel Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

The company has yet to officially trumpet the date, but it was live for a while on Ubisoft's store (thanks, Gematsu) ahead of today's Nintendo Direct, which is scheduled for 2pm UK time.

Today's announcement stream is set to feature third-party games for Nintendo Switch - of which Sparks of Hope is a prime example. It seems likely we'll see this made official then.

Cover image for YouTube videoMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: Gameplay Sneak Peek Trailer | #UbiForward
A first look at Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope from last year.

Mario + Rabbids is a mash-up of company mascots in a tight, turn-based strategy game filled with humour and Mushroom Kingdom colour.

This upcoming sequel was first announced back at E3 2021, as a follow-up to Ubisoft's brilliant original entry, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. It ditches the original's grid-based levels for a more open approach and adds fresh characters such as Rabbid Rosalina. Happily, original composer Grant Kirkhope has confirmed his return.

"This wonky crossover is the unlikely source of a superbly designed tactical combat challenge as well as a charmingly silly adventure," we wrote in our Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle review, back in 2017.