Next year will be another exciting one for fighting game fans, as we can expect several tag fighters to make their arrival. One such example is coming from Quarter Up and is using the Invincible universe as its basis. This game is known as Invincible VS, and as part of Gamescom, we had the chance to go hands-on with the game and to speak with its executive producer (and co-founder of Quarter Up) Mike Willette.
During the interview, we asked how the developer navigated creating a project in the Invincible universe and what it was like working with Robert Kirkman and even the Prime Video animated series team.
Willette explained to us: “Well, for us, it’s like we always wanted to be authentic. So where you can see the show is an evolution from the comics and so our idea was like, let’s be an evolution from the show. So we’re taking things from 2D and we have to translate them to 3D. And that’s probably one of the most difficult things that you can do because there are certain things that you can cheat in traditional animation. And I’m like, well, we can’t cheat that in 3D.”
He continued by adding: “So like Battle Beast is a really good example that I use because he’s got plated armor and he has elements to his skirt and all these things that need to move a certain way. So you try to adhere to the style as closely as possible. You’re honorific of it, but you make these different design decisions so they work really well in 3D. And then you share those ideas. And then they say like, that looks really awesome. That works great. Or have you considered doing something a little bit different?
“But all in all, it’s been a really healthy relationship where we have these really good, strong feedback loops. And we’ve played the game together. Everyone gets a chance to see all the cool stuff that’s coming out. Unlike in other studios I’ve worked in in the past, we have direct access to the creative team. So it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It’s really great.”
We also inquired about the rise of tag fighters and how Quarter Up is positioning Invincible VS to feel unique when compared with Arc System Works’ Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls and Riot Games’ 2XKO.
Willette stated: “At the time, there hadn’t been another big tag battle fighting game on the market. And lo and behold, great minds think alike. And so we have the awesome folks at Riot doing 2XKO. And then we also have the awesome team over at Arc Systems that’s doing Marvel Tokon. But we’re all different. It’s like we’re all having our individual takes on what is a really cool tag battle fighting game.
“And so for us, it’s really about the team synergy, the active tag system, the two-way interaction. So when I’m on defense or I’m getting hit, I’m still paying attention. I’m not watching a slideshow. It’s like, what is the counterplay and interplay, the reads I’m going to make, the bait that I’m going to sit out there to try to get someone to do something, to react to something so I can set them up for like a really big combo. We really like that dynamic. And we hope everybody enjoys what they’re playing so far and seeing, and can’t wait to show you more.”
Check out the full interview below for plenty of finer details about Invincible VS, which is expected to launch in 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.