Mario + Rabbids and Red Dead Redemption creators form new studio: Day 4 Night

The creators of the Mario + Rabbids series and the lead designer of Red Dead Redemption have formed a new studio called Day 4 Night.

The new team has received funding from Krafton and 1Up Ventures, and is led by Christian Cantamessa (Red Dead Redemption, Shadow of Mordor, Perfect Dark) and Davide Soliani (Mario + Rabbids, Just Dance). Their first project is a completely new IP.

The team also includes Cristina Nava, Gian Marco Zanna and Luca Breda, who were all part of the Mario + Rabbids team at Ubisoft Milan, and have also worked on the likes of Just Dance, Ghost Recon and Star Wars Outlaws.

“When I first fell in love with video games at the start of my career, I saw the power of this new medium to tell stories never told before and create worlds that could transform people,” Cantamessa said in a statement.

“Day 4 Night is a return to that innovative spirit, to that innocence, to that unbridled creativity.”

Soliani added: “What we are crafting at Day 4 Night is a reflection of everything I’ve ever wanted to experience as a player – joy, adventure, poetry, action, wonder, and the pleasure of working with friends. It’s a lullaby for my soul and a serenade to our industry, to the magic and the madness of creating worlds from nothing. It’s a story about triumphs, challenges, dreams, to light the path we walk together.”

The new team will operate out of offices in Los Angeles, California and Milan.

“Day 4 Night’s pitch presented a highly engaging and captivating story,” said Krafton’s head of corporate development Maria Park.

“The game’s vision stands out as both original and creative, making it a great match for the type of studios we aim to support at Krafton.”

1Up Ventures’ Ed Fries added: “When you see a lot of pitches, like we do, it’s always incredibly fun when you get to hear an idea that’s completely new and original. This was easily the most creative thing we have seen in quite some time.”