The developer behind Nintendo’s upcoming Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood appears to have been revealed, while the identity of the studio behind the upcoming Switch role-playing game is also surprising.
An early version of the game (with an official release date of November 7th) is available now and lists Tokyo-based Acquire as the company working with Nintendo on Brotherhood (thanks, Nintendo).
Acquire is the veteran developer behind the Tenchu and Bushido series, but may be better known to Nintendo fans as the team that worked with Square Enix on Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler 2.
Nintendo has previously refused to reveal the name of the team behind Brotherhood, the long-awaited sixth installment in the Mario & Luigi RPG series, although fans have speculated who is behind the scenes.
The series’ previous developer, AlphaDream, unfortunately closed its doors in 2019, although Nintendo has said that some veterans of the series contributed to the new game in some capacity.
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Nintendo has recently adopted a policy of not releasing key development details until a game’s release, including the identities of developers and staff (including voice actors).
The decision has led to growing speculation on the internet about which company might be backing a particular project, such as the recent The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, even as demos of that game have been opened to press and public events.
In the case of Brotherhood, fans are wondering if Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl studio ILCA is in the driver’s seat, or if reliable Canadian partner Next Level Games is like Luigi’s Mansion That selected the series.
“The appeal of Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood is family familiarity,” I wrote in Eurogamer’s preview of Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood. “There may be a lot about Brotherhood’s formula that is familiar, But it’s great to be back in Mario and Luigi’s company again after such a long absence.”