One of the biggest announcements at the Xbox Showcase was Invincible VS, and we had the chance to speak with members of Skybound's Quarter Up studio at IGN Live. They explained why this 3v3 fighter is the perfect tag-team adaptation of Robert Kirkman's superhero saga—complete with clear Killer Instinct inspirations.
Invincible VS brings in beloved characters from the comics and animated series, such as Mark Grayson (Invincible), Omni-Man, Thula, Atom Eve, and Bulletproof. But the main reason the game is a 3v3 fighter comes down to the number of teams in the series. According to art director Dan Eder and combat designer Reepal Parbhoo, this made choosing the game’s format an easy decision.
"When you watch Invincible or read the comics, the team structure really stands out, right?" Parbhoo notes. "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 one-on-one fights."
Although teams shaped the game’s structure, the heart of Invincible VS lies in its characters. The studio made sure to capture each one authentically.
"We really wanted to do justice to these characters," Eder said. "The show's visual style was a huge influence, but we also had to adapt it for a video game. That meant making careful decisions about details, rendering style, anatomy, and more. Should we go for realism or a more stylized look? We aimed for a hybrid 2D-3D style—characters are lit realistically but outlined for a comic-book effect.
"Ultimately, we wanted the game to feel like a true representation of the characters from the show and comics. Luckily, with Invincible, there’s so much great material to draw inspiration from."
Moving on from characters and gameplay format, we talked about the combat mechanics. Killer Instinct fans will be pleased to learn that Invincible VS is the first title from Skybound’s Quarter Up studio, led by former members of the Killer Instinct (2013) development team.
"Killer Instinct was a 1v1 tag fighter, but the impactful hits really stood out. We’ve brought that feeling into Invincible VS," Parbhoo explained. "The main influence, though, is the back-and-forth between offense and defense. In Killer Instinct, you could react to combos. With good reflexes, you could break them even at a high level—though that eventually made combos very short. In a tag fighter, you still want long, satisfying combos. Our solution? Let players break combos by calling in an active assist."
Speaking of combos, the team designed Invincible VS to be accessible for players of all skill levels. There’s an option to execute combos by repeatedly pressing one button—letting you perform specials, supers, and even tag in another teammate with ease.
Invincible VS also introduces an Overkill system. As Parbhoo describes it, "You'll hit a superhero so hard you might knock off a limb or two. That’s just how things go in Invincible."
Fans will be glad to know that series creator Robert Kirkman is closely involved. From an artistic standpoint, his input has been invaluable—after all, he’s the one who built this universe.
"We didn’t want the game to feel disconnected from the source material," Eder said. "In fact, we’re always looking for ways to use his insights and add something new. We aren’t just recreating the show beat-for-beat—that can become boring. We want to elevate the experience. And Robert is central to those conversations. Who knows these characters better than him, Ryan Ottley, Corey Walker, and the other creators?"
Invincible VS is set to launch in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more coverage, check out the biggest highlights from IGN Live and the Xbox Games Showcase.
