Freedom

Freedom
Developer(s)	Vicarious Visions
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Main Development Staff	{{{devteam}}}
Platform(s)	Nintendo Switch
Release Date(s)	Unreleased
Genre(s)	Platformer
Ratings	Not rated
Mode(s)	Single player
Media(s)	{{{media}}}
Input(s)	{{{input}}}
Preceded by	{{{preceded by}}}
Succeeded by	{{{succeeded by}}}

Freedom is the project name for a canceled Donkey Kong platforming game developed by Vicarious Visions for the Nintendo Switch. Although it generated some interest from Nintendo, development was halted by Activision, the parent company of Vicarious Visions, to allocate resources to their own major franchises.

History

After the release of Skylanders: SuperChargers in 2015, Vicarious Visions started development on a pitch for a Nintendo Switch game directed by founders Guha and Karthik Bala. The pitch, codenamed Freedom, was a prototype for a Donkey Kong platformer set in an open island and focused on movement and flow featuring wall climbing and vine swinging, as well as a new grinding mechanic on sloped vines using banana peels inspired by the studio's past work on the Tony Hawk series and Jet Set Radio for the Sega Dreamcast.

Freedom would have featured a very different art style compared to past Donkey Kong games and Skylanders: SuperChargers, where Donkey Kong would have had "Burton-esque" exaggerated proportions with big arms and small legs. Another planned setting for the Freedom prototype was a jungle-infested city, in which Donkey Kong would have had to climb up to upper areas by interacting with objects and building up momentum.

Despite receiving interest from Nintendo, Vicarious Visions' parent company, Activision, canceled the game in spring 2016 to receive additional development for their major franchises. The game's cancellation would be one of the reasons for the Bala brothers' departure from the company and founding of Velan Studios, which would later collaborate with Nintendo to develop Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.