This Week at Ubisoft: Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Out Now, Brawlhalla-vania Epic Crossover Event Live

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is finally here! This week at Ubisoft, the new game launched exclusively on Nintendo Switch alongside its 52-track original soundtrack. But that's not all: Just in time for spooky season, the Brawlhalla-vania Epic Crossover began, introducing two new characters who are dying to join the fight. Additionally, the British Library worked with Ubisoft to recreate Assassin's Creed Origins' rendition of Alexander the Great's tomb in an in-person exhibition. Read about it all and more in this week's roundup of all Ubisoft News:

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Available Now

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launched exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 20, bringing a colorful new adventure to players everywhere. Join Mario, Luigi, Peach, and their Rabbid counterparts on an interplanetary mission to save the galaxy from the dark influence of Cursa. On their journey, players will meet new characters like Edge, and team up with their old foe Bowser. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope also re-imagines its combat, introducing free movement and real-time action to the battlefields.

Brawlhalla-vania Epic Crossover Is Live Now

Brawlhalla-vania, the newest Epic Crossover event for the free-to-play fighting game, is live now, introducing two fang-tastic new fighters. Simon Belmont, an Epic Crossover for Jhala, is a skilled vampire hunter, wielding a Morning Star Sword and Battle Axe in Brawlhalla. Meanwhile, Alucard, an Epic Crossover for Ezio, is Dracula's rebellious son, fighting against his father's beliefs. In Brawlhalla, he fights with his Sword and Ghost Familiar Orb. The event also launches new game modes, maps, avatars, and sidekicks.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Original Game Soundtrack Out Now

The original soundtrack for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is out now, featuring 52 tracks from the game for players to listen to. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle composer Grant Kirkhope returned for the new game, joined by legendary Japanese composer Yoko Shimomura and multi-award-winning composer Gareth Coker. Audio Director Romain Brillaud spoke with Ubisoft News about working with all three composers to create the music of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

Assassin's Creed Partners With British Library for Alexander the Great Exhibition

The British Library kicked off a new exhibition, Alexander the Great: The Making of a Myth, on October 19. The exhibition examines Alexander the Great's life, how he came to be one of the most influential figures in history, and how his legend grew after his death. Part of the event includes an immersive digital recreation of what Alexander's undiscovered tomb might look like - a design taken directly from Assassin's Creed Origins. Ubisoft worked with the British Library to help bring the tomb chamber to life on a large scale, projected onto three walls at the end of the exhibition. Peter Toth, curator, ancient and medieval transcripts at the British Library, spoke to Ubisoft News about creating the exhibit and why Alexander the Great is such a fascinating subject.

Anno 1800 Coming to Console

Anno 1800 is coming to Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Amazon Luna in 2023, which marks the first time in 25 years that a core game in the series has come to consoles. More will be revealed in early 2023, but in the meantime, interested players can sign up for a technical test happening in November.

Ubisoft+ Spotlight - Rayman Raving Rabbids

(Editorial note: This is a series of quick weekly highlights written by Ubisoft News team writers that feature games available with a Ubisoft+ subscription. We hope you'll enjoy reminiscing with us, or perhaps discover something new.)

Brittany Spurlin, Writer/Editor: Have you ever wanted to play a game that was part rescue mission, part gladiatorial experience, and part jailbreak, all flavored with a special brand of Rabbid chaos? Look no further than Rayman Raving Rabbids. The Rabbids debuted as antagonists in the 2006 party game; Rayman and the Globox kids are minding their own business, having a picnic, when they are invaded by the Rabbids. The Globox kids disappear and Rayman is taken prisoner, and must compete in trials against his Rabbid captors in order to win his freedom. Plot twist: the more trials Rayman wins, the more he wins over the Rabbid hoi polloi, eventually building an escape tool out of - well, we won't spoil it for you, but it's certainly inventive.

That's just the story; the actual gameplay of Rayman Raving Rabbids is just as wacky, chaotic, and fun as one would expect. Each day of trials consists of three minigames and one boss fight, challenges that call upon players to race warthogs, shoot bunnies with plungers, or do a disco dance. You can also play the game in Score Mode, which lets you replay trials in an attempt to outdo yourself and get more points, as well as play in multiplayer. You can play Rayman Raving Rabbids today with a Ubisoft+ subscription - and keep an eye out for Rayman's Rabbid reunion when he joins Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope in the game's upcoming third DLC.

Game Updates

Rainbow Six Siege launched Y7S3.3 patch notes on October 18, introducing Operator balances and other tweaks and improvements to the game.

• Doc's Stim Pistol now heals 200hp with each shot

• Dokkaebi's Logic Bomb now affects Defenders in Support Mode

• Reduced maximum Overheal from 40hp to 20hp

For Honor deployed patch notes 2.39.0 on October 20, kicking off Crossplay Phase 2, as well as introducing a number of gameplay improvements.

• Players can now add cross-platform friends with Ubisoft Connect

• Parry Punishes are easier to land and require less buffering for Warlord, Centurion, Warmonger, and Jiang Jun

• Tracking Breaks were added or adjusted for Nuxia, Peacekeeper, Shaman, and Zhanhu

Brawlhalla introduced patch 7.00 on October 19, bringing bug fixes and gameplay improvements to the game along with the Epic Crossover event.

• New server regions for Middle East and Southern Africa have been added. Players can change preferred server in the Options menu on the top right

• Players can now change Legends when rematching

• Legend Select screen now notifies players when another player in the Online lobby is still viewing the Scoreboard