One of the standout announcements from the Xbox Showcase was the reveal of Invincible VS, an upcoming 3v3 fighting game. At IGN Live, we spoke with developers from Skybound's Quarter Up studio about why this title is the perfect team-based fighting experience for Robert Kirkman's superhero universe—complete with notable Killer Instinct influences.
Invincible VS brings together fan-favorite characters from the comics and animated series, such as Mark Grayson (Invincible), Omni-Man, Thula, Atom Eve, and Bulletproof. The decision to structure the game around 3v3 battles was heavily influenced by the franchise’s emphasis on superhero teams. For Art Director Dan Eder and Combat Designer Reepal Parbhoo, the direction felt natural.
“When you watch the Invincible series or read the comics, the team dynamics are impossible to ignore,” Parbhoo explained. “You have groups like the Teen Team, the Guardians of the Globe, the Global Defense Agency, and the Viltrumites. That naturally lends itself to a team-based format rather than a traditional one-on-one fighter.”
While the team structure influenced the genre, Invincible VS places equal importance on the characters themselves. The developers aimed to capture each hero and villain authentically.
“We wanted to do justice to the characters,” Eder shared. “The show’s visual style was a huge inspiration, but we also had to adapt it for a video game. That meant making careful decisions about rendering, anatomy, and overall style. Should we lean toward realism or a more stylized look? We ultimately went for a hybrid approach—characters are realistically lit but outlined, blending 2D and 3D aesthetics.”
“Our goal was to create an authentic representation of the characters from the show and comics. Luckily, Invincible offers a wealth of reference material that made our job easier.”
The conversation then turned to combat. Fans of Killer Instinct will be pleased to learn that Invincible VS is the debut project from Skybound’s Quarter Up—a studio led by former members of the Killer Instinct (2013) development team.
“Killer Instinct was a 1v1 tag fighter, but its signature impact and weight in every hit carried over into Invincible VS,” Parbhoo noted. “More importantly, we adopted its back-and-forth interplay between offense and defense. In Killer Instinct, you could break combos if you reacted quickly—something that became almost too effective at high-level play. Here, to maintain the flow of lengthy combos, we introduced combo breaks when you call in an active assist.”
In terms of accessibility, Invincible VS aims to be enjoyable for players of all skill levels. A simplified control scheme allows players to execute combos by repeatedly pressing a single button—triggering special moves, super attacks, and even teammate tags.
The game also introduces an Overkill system. As Parbhoo described it, “You can hit a superhero so hard that you might knock off a limb or two. That’s just the kind of action you expect in Invincible.”
Series creator Robert Kirkman has been closely involved in the project, offering both creative insight and approval. The developers value his perspective as the original architect of the universe.
“We didn’t want the game to feel disconnected from the source material,” Eder emphasized. “At the same time, we wanted to expand on it, not just recreate what’s already been done. Robert is central to that dialogue. Who knows these characters better than him, Ryan Ottley, Corey Walker, and the other creators?”
Invincible VS is scheduled for release in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more highlights, check out the biggest moments from IGN Live and the Xbox Games Showcase.
