The source code and editor for Rayman 4 have seemingly leaked online, giving us a new look at the cancelled project that was eventually turned into Rayman Raving Rabbids.Most gamers will know that Rayman was briefly put in the ground between 2006 and 2013, mostly thanks to the success of Rayman Raving Rabbids and its minigame focus. What some probably don't know is that Raving Rabbids originally began as Rayman 4, and was supposed to be another 3D platformer similar to Hoodlum Havoc.Rayman 4 ended up getting morphed into Raving Rabbids, with most of what we saw in the reveal trailer being tweaked and turned into minigames. We've found out some details about it over the years, but it looks like the curtain is about to get fully lifted, as the source code and editor for Rayman 4 have just been leaked online.
Twitter user RibShark shared the news earlier today, excitedly tweeting, "HOLY SHIT RAYMAN 4 JUST LEAKED". It seems that the leaks originate from an archived 4chan post from earlier in the week, although we don't recommend trying to find the link through there. Thankfully RibShark has been providing images and videos from the build, starting with a screenshot of Rayman standing in an unrendered environment next to a Teensie.
The next image shows Rayman riding a spider, a feature that was shown off in the original trailer for the game. According to RibShark, the riding mechanics are functional within the build. Another thing that RibShark showed off that confirms it was a crime for Rayman 4 to be cancelled is that it apparently contained a level called "Sphincter Cell" that seems to take part... inside something.
Interestingly, the build also contains some test levels, one of which takes place inside a big Rabbid robot. In the gameplay clip, we see that Rayman has the same martial arts moves he had from the first trailer, as well as what is likely an early version of his plunger gun, which seems to be shooting carrots here for some reason.
Since the source code is now public, other Twitter users have already begun combing through the files to try and see what they can find. One particularly haunting discovery from Twitter user RaymanForSmash (keep fighting the good fight) is that Rayman 4 was originally going to have the naked Rayman skin that debuted in Legends. How this would work in 3D without Rayman just baring ass the whole time isn't clear, but I'm into it.
Another video from Twitter user TheZombieKiller shows a test level that seems to also take place in some kind of spaceship. In the footage, we get a closer look at more melee combat and movement, as well as some early Rabbid models similar to how they looked in the trailer. Rayman also has a chain ability that was briefly shown off during the game's reveal, showing that some concepts did stick around for some time before the rework.