Bradley the Badger just shocked gamers with a wild platformer from Mario + Rabbids creator, Evan Peters voices the confused badger and it’s absolutely ridiculous

Davide Soliani, the legendary creative force behind Mario + Rabbids, just unveiled Bradley the Badger at The Game Awards 2025. This wild new 3D action-adventure platformer stars Hollywood actor Evan Peters and marks the studio’s most ambitious project yet. The reveal sent shockwaves through the gaming world with its surreal, meta take on gaming itself.

Creative Minds Behind the Madness

This isn’t just another platformer—it’s the brainchild of two gaming legends. Davide Soliani left his director role at Ubisoft after leading the beloved Mario + Rabbids franchise. Christian Cantamessa, the narrative architect of Red Dead Redemption, joined him to co-create something entirely unprecedented. Together they founded Day 4 Night Studios to bring their wild vision to life.

The duo describes Bradley the Badger as “a love letter to games.” The project blends their expertise in world-building, narrative craft, and innovative gameplay design. According to sources, Soliani wanted to explore what happens when a semi-retired platforming hero enters a world completely unlike anything he has experienced before.

Meet Bradley: A Badger Confused in a Digital Dimension

Evan Peters, known for his roles in X-Men films and the upcoming Tron: Ares, voices the befuddled badger protagonist. Peters brings charm and bewilderment to Bradley, a character thrust into a magical video game world governed by surreal logic. His voice performance captures the absurdist humor throughout the adventure.

The game features surprising cameos and references to gaming icons. Locations parody beloved franchises including Bloodborne, The Last of Us, and Cyberpunk 2077. Bradley encounters these worlds with increasing confusion, creating comedic moments that celebrate gaming culture while gently poking fun at industry tropes.

Groundbreaking Gameplay and the “Kit” System

Feature	Details
Core Gameplay	3D platforming with action-adventure elements and mind-bending freeform puzzles
The Kit Tool	Allows Bradley to modify and manipulate unfinished game assets in real time, mimicking game developer tools
Gameplay Variety	Exploration, traversal, puzzle-solving, and interactive storytelling sequences
Narrative Style	Meta story with live-action sequences blended into a digital adventure

The game’s centerpiece mechanic is the Kit, a unique tool Bradley can use to interact with unfinished game assets. Imagine having god-mode powers to reshape the world around you. This mechanic allows players to solve puzzles in creative freeform ways, blurring the line between platforming and creation itself.

Gameplay combines classic platforming with fresh twists. Players navigate colorful, surreal environments while encountering challenges that spoof other gaming genres. The transition between areas feels intentionally jarring—one moment you’re in a melodramatic noir setting, the next you’re in a Souls-like parody.

A Satirical Love Letter to Gaming Culture

What makes Bradley the Badger truly special is its irreverent approach to gaming itself. The entire experience plays as satire, celebrating gaming while critiquing its industry quirks. The meta-narrative frames the action as a confused badger helping broken video game worlds fix themselves—brilliant wordplay on the gaming industry’s constant need to “ship” products.

The announcement trailer clocks in at just over 2 minutes but packs incredible visual personality. Animations are fluid and expressive, the color palette pops with energy, and the tone balances humor with genuine platforming challenge. Every frame screams originality in an industry often chasing trends.

What Platform and Release Timeline Can We Expect?

Bradley the Badger is confirmed for Steam on PC, but Day 4 Night Studios has not announced a specific release date yet. Team representatives stated they are “exploring additional platforms and consoles,” suggesting console versions are being negotiated with potential publishers. The official Steam page lists the planned release as “To be announced,” keeping expectations flexible.

Day 4 Night is actively seeking a publisher to expand the game beyond its initial PC launch window. This suggests the team wants partners to help bring the project to PlayStation, Xbox, and potentially Nintendo Switch. With the groundswell of excitement from The Game Awards reveal, publisher interest is likely fierce.

No exact timeline exists yet, but gaming industry veterans rarely announce games this radically different without having substantial development already underway. Industry reports suggest development has progressed significantly, though an exact window remains locked within the studio’s plans.

“This is a love letter to games.”

— Davide Soliani, Creative Director and Founder of Day 4 Night Studios

Sources

• IGN – Comprehensive coverage of the Mario + Rabbids creator’s announcement and game details
• Polygon – In-depth analysis of Bradley the Badger as a satirical love letter to video games
• Video Games Chronicle – Technical breakdown of Day 4 Night Studios’ vision and team background