Invincible VS devs explain how they made show’s weakest character one of the strongest in-game

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Cecil Stedman is joining the fight in Invincible VS! He’ll be using his teleportation technology and ReAnimen to surprise opponents with a surprisingly powerful set of abilities.

I was initially surprised to hear Cecil would be part of Invincible VS. Unlike most of the characters in the comic, Cecil doesn’t have superpowers. He uses technology from the Global Defense Agency to teleport and avoid attacks from upset heroes.

I wondered how Quarter Up could make this character a compelling addition to the Invincible VS lineup. I spent time imagining what his fighting style might be like, and finally got a glimpse of his official moves during a conversation with the game’s creators.

I immediately felt relieved after seeing Cecil in action. While he doesn’t have any superhuman abilities, he’s a very strong character with a lot of different strategies. He can use a gun to control space and shoot opponents out of the air, or rely on his summoned ReAnimen to attack from afar. Plus, his teleportation allows for quick movement and the potential for powerful combos.

Cecil really stands out in this game – he’s got a lot of personality! I was really excited by his trailer and asked the developers at Quarter Up why they chose to include him, and how they made him a strong competitor against the other characters.

Invincible VS devs explain why they chose to put Cecil in the game

Adding the character Cecil to the ‘Invincible VS’ game was a natural fit for Quarter Up. He’s a compelling character – a tough, ex-spy who constantly has to make tough choices to protect people, and he also has to deal with a chaotic group of superheroes.

Michael Rogers, Narrative Director for Invincible VS., explained that Cecil is incredibly popular with both players and the development team. There was a strong desire to include him in the game and to portray him accurately. As they began planning, they recognized that Cecil is an elderly character.

He isn’t an alien with superpowers, but he has access to a lot of advanced technology and resources, including creatures called ReAnimen and teleportation devices. We saw this as a chance to create a really interesting skillset for him. He excels at leading others and directing the ReAnimen to do his fighting for him.

He’s willing to do whatever it takes, even going back to fieldwork. He uses specialized equipment – things like inspection tools and a customized weapon – funded by taxpayers, which gives him a distinct advantage and makes him a compelling character in a fighting game.

Cecil drives off enemies with ‘bullet hell’ of projectiles

Executive Producer Michael Willette explained that Cecil has a wide range of advanced technology to help him control the battlefield, with tools for both close-range and distant engagements.

He can set sonic mines on the ground and in the air to corner his opponents. He also has weapons like a rocket launcher that can be charged to fire a triple shot. Plus, he uses teleportation to quickly get around the battlefield – a feature jokingly referred to as being funded by taxpayers.

Man, playing against this guy is intense. He loves to throw out these crazy, screen-filling attacks – it’s like a ‘bullet hell’ just to keep you away! But what’s really messed up is he can call in help *while* he’s doing all that, perfectly timing it to confirm a hit and send you flying to the white room. Or, he’ll just get in close, do a combo, and then finish you off with this devastating level three super where he basically slams you with everything he’s got.

As a fan, I’m really excited about this new ranged character! What’s awesome is how unique he is – he doesn’t just shoot things, he can cover the battlefield with traps and projectiles, making life really difficult for opponents. He feels like a throwback to classic characters, but he’s also got this confident, commanding presence – like he’s truly in control.

Keeping Invincible VS at 60 FPS was devs’ biggest challenge making Cecil

It was challenging to design Cecil for a quick-moving fighting game, but Quarter Up was committed to accurately representing his personality through everything he does – his attacks, how he moves, and even his conversations with other fighters.

Designing gameplay for this character was unique. We had to move away from our usual methods for superheroes because he’s quite different, as Art Director Dan Eder explained.

We also needed the fight between Cecil and Omni-Man to feel believable within the show’s established world. That’s why we gave Cecil abilities like teleportation and the ReAnimen – it fits with his character and how he’d approach a fight.

We wanted to create a unique gameplay experience for fans, building it around what truly makes this character special, rather than just using a standard superhero formula. Plus, he’s incredibly powerful and a lot of fun to play! From a gameplay standpoint, he’s quickly become a favorite – he’s really different, focusing on ranged attacks, and looks fantastic in action.

As you might expect, Willette explained that a major hurdle in realistically animating Cecil was maintaining a smooth 60 frames per second while displaying all of his projectiles and ReAnimen simultaneously.

He jokingly said, ‘I’m the 60 frames per second police!’ Maintaining a smooth 60 frames per second is crucial, especially with a complex character like Cecil. The game already features a lot happening on screen – things like summoning ReAnimen, and potentially having six characters active simultaneously. The biggest challenge is making everything run smoothly with all the action, including projectiles, ReAnimen, teleportation, and multiple characters.

The team at Quarter Up aims to create a diverse character lineup with lots of different playstyles, hoping to attract both players and viewers, even with characters that might not be immediately popular.

People will be surprised by the name at first, maybe even shocked. But then, when they see Cecil in action, they’ll realize how incredibly skilled he is. What’s really great is capturing the idea of a former top agent with decades of experience now leading the Guardians. He’s faced countless crises, so you know he’ll handle any situation with expertise and confidence. Seeing it all come together is genuinely awesome.

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2025-10-09 23:22