If you were hoping for more multiplayer action in the upcoming Switch release, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, we’re sorry to say, but there won’t be any options like this on offer.

Speaking to Screenrant, producer Xavier Manzanares clarified how the team decided to focus exclusively on the “solo experience” in the new installment. As you may remember, the original game had co-op and Ubisoft patched it into a versus mode in a free update.

So what is the reason behind this decision? According to Manzanares, in full production, the team was concerned about balance. Here it is in its entirety:

“We decided in the middle of production to focus on the solo experience. Because really, because we brought a lot of 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 individual aspect. So it was really important to us and we decided to take that decision, to assess the dangers, where we could go in many directions, but then it’s unbalanced everywhere and it’s a game that never comes out. So it was a decision we made during production.”

The official Nintendo website listing also notes how this Mario + Rabbids follow-up adventure is single-player. Of course, given that post-launch content has already been confirmed and considering how Ubisoft patched the versus mode in the original game, who knows what could happen in the future?

What do you think about the developers scrapping multiplayer in the new Mario + Rabbids… at least for now? Did you play co-op or versus modes in the original game? Leave your thoughts below.