Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope will not have a multiplayer mode of any kind

destructoid.com:

Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope multiplayer is not going to be a thing, based on a statement from lead producer Xavier Manzanares. I can hear the gasps or the collective sighs of relief now!

Speaking to Screenrant, Manzanares explains why the team made this decision:

“We decided in the middle of production to focus on the solo experience. Because, actually as we brought many things from the original concept, we started to see how many elements it brought to the table, and to balance that, this revamped system, we wanted to focus our attention on the solo aspect. So, it was really important for us and we decided to assume that the decision, in order to scope out dangers, where we could go many directions, but then it’s unbalanced everywhere and it’s a game that never ships. So, it was a decision we took during production.”

Hearing “focus on the solo experience” having lived through the great 2010s wars of “put multiplayer in everything,” this is music to my ears. I assume some of you would want a way to play even local multiplayer, but I’ll take this win, from Ubisoft, no less. Also, the implication from Manzanares is that Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope multiplayer would have significantly delayed the arrival of the game, or possibly put it in jeopardy entirely.

Of course, this is directly juxtaposed to the multiplayer content that the original Mario + Rabbids game had, including co-op levels, a DLC co-op campaign, and a versus mode. Perhaps that could come as post-launch content one day to Sparks of Hope, but for now, the focus is solo play.