Mario + Rabbids creator Davide Soliani has left Ubisoft after 25 years with the studio in order to "embark on a new adventure".
Speaking on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today, Soliani shared a shot of the famous moment of him crying during E3 2017 when Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was first announced.
Here's what he had to say about his tenure with Ubisoft and his plans for the future.
Hi all folks. After 25 years, 11 of which beautifully spent working with Nintendo on Mario+Rabbids along the company of our incredible community of players, I have decided to leave Ubisoft to embark on a new adventure. I can't say more now. Thanks a lot for everything, truly.

The replies to Soliani's post include well-wishes from the likes of Ubisoft itself, as well as gaming trivia platform DidYouKnowGaming and Donkey Kong Country composer David Wise.
Soliani served as the creative director on both 2017's Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and its excellent sequel, 2022's Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, but that's not all he did while at Ubisoft, of course.
His credits also include work as a creative director on Just Dance, as well as level design for 2005's GameCube action-strategy game Battalion Wars and even a credit on influential action-adventure game Beyond Good & Evil.
It's safe to say he's one of Ubisoft's lifers, so his decision to leave the company will probably be a blow for many at the studio, although whether it's a surprise or not is another question.

Although he's done a lot of work with Ubisoft behind the scenes, he's perhaps best known for a viral moment in 2017 when he cried during the unveiling of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.
As Shigeru Miyamoto took to the stage to introduce the game, cameras cut to Soliani, who was weeping, most likely out of a mixture of happiness and relief that his game was finally out there. Well, Davide, you needn't worry; they're both great games, and your legacy is secure.
We'll have to wait and see what Davide Soliani does next. Stay tuned for more.