One of the standout announcements from the Xbox Showcase was the reveal of Invincible VS, and at IGN Live, we spoke with members of Skybound's Quarter Up studio to find out why this 3v3 fighter is the perfect format for Robert Kirkman's superhero universe—complete with clear inspiration from Killer Instinct.
The game brings together beloved characters from the comics and animated series like Mark Grayson (Invincible), Omni-Man, Thula, Atom Eve, and Bulletproof. But the decision to make this a team-based fighter was also influenced by the many superhero teams throughout the series. According to art director Dan Eder and combat designer Reepal Parbhoo, choosing the 3v3 structure felt like a natural fit.
“When you watch the Invincible series or read the comics, the team dynamic is always front and center,” Parbhoo explains. “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 fighter instead of a standard one-on-one format.”
While the team mechanics informed the game’s structure, at its heart, Invincible VS is all about authentic character representation. The development team made it a priority to ensure every fighter felt true to their comic and animated counterparts.
“Our goal was to do these characters justice,” Eder shared. “The visual style of the show was a major influence, but we also had to adapt it for a video game. That meant making deliberate choices about rendering, anatomy, and overall detail. Should we go for realism or something more stylized? We aimed for a striking hybrid look—realistic lighting combined with clean outlines.”
“Ultimately, we wanted the game to feel like a faithful extension of the Invincible world. Fortunately, there’s so much rich material to draw from that it made our job easier.”
Moving on from characters and format, we turned our discussion to the combat system. Killer Instinct fans will be pleased to learn that Skybound’s Quarter Up studio—the team behind Invincible VS—includes veterans from the core Killer Instinct (2013) development team.
“Killer Instinct was a 1v1 tag fighter, but its hits had real impact—and we've carried that feeling over to Invincible VS,” Parbhoo noted. “The key influence, though, lies in the back-and-forth between offense and defense. In Killer Instinct, you could react to combos. If you were quick and skilled, you could break them even at high-level play. That became almost too effective—combos grew shorter because of it. But in an attack fighter, you still want those satisfying, extended sequences. So we introduced break points where you can call in an active assist to interrupt a combo.”
That said, the team also wants Invincible VS to be accessible. Even those less experienced with fighting games can enable an optional “one-button combo” mode, letting players unleash specials, supers, and even tag in teammates by simply tapping a single button repeatedly.
Another key feature is the Overkill system. As Parbhoo describes it, “You’ll hit a hero so hard you might just knock off a limb or two. That’s just how things go in Invincible.”
Fans can also take comfort in knowing that series creator Robert Kirkman is closely involved. From an artistic and creative standpoint, his input has been invaluable.
“We don’t want the game to feel disconnected from the source material,” Eder explained. “Quite the opposite—we’re always looking for ways to draw from his knowledge and put a fresh spin on familiar elements. We’re not just repeating what’s been done in the show. We want to elevate the experience, and Robert is central to that conversation. After all, who knows these characters better than him and co-creators like Ryan Ottley and Corey Walker?”
Invincible VS launches in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more updates, be sure to check out the biggest moments from IGN Live and the Xbox Games Showcase.
