Ubisoft is taking its gritty Rainbow Six franchise in an unexpected new direction with Rainbow Six: Smol, a cute and colorful mobile game launching exclusively on Netflix. This Saturday morning cartoon-inspired rendition of the typically mature tactical shooter represents a bold creative risk for the storied franchise.

Early footage of Smol reveals a top-down shooter with SD chibi anime operator characters straight out of a 90s Nickelodeon show. Between the gigantic heads, tiny bodies, and oversized weapons, this is a stark stylistic departure for the renowned Rainbow Six series.

“We saw an opportunity to widen the audience a bit, with a more approachable take on the Rainbow Six universe,” said creative director Renaud Forestié in an interview. “The core pillars of the franchise are there, like the operators and destructible environments, but we’ve introduced a more lighthearted presentation.”

The game’s vivid candy-coated visuals and twee art design are clearly targeting a younger demographic compared to traditional Rainbow Six titles. It remains to be seen whether the series’ famously hardcore fanbase will embrace this radically different interpretation of their beloved franchise.

Smol was developed by a compact 10 person team at Ubisoft Montreal. According to Forestié, Netflix was involved with the project from the very beginning, enabling the team to focus squarely on crafting a tailored mobile experience without worrying about monetization.

“Working directly with Netflix meant we didn’t have to spend any time on things like microtransactions or ads. We could just focus on making a great game for their platform,” he said.

The release is part of an ongoing partnership between Netflix and Ubisoft that includes upcoming shows based on Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. It also comes on the heels of Netflix’s biggest mobile gaming launch so far with the recent release of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy.

Rainbow Six: Smol represents a bold creative gamble for Ubisoft as it seeks to extend the audience for its long-running franchise. It remains to be seen whether Rainbow Six fans will embrace this pint-sized spinoff, but the cute art style and mobile-friendly gameplay may resonate with a younger generation discovering the series for the first time.