The latest Nintendo Direct announces the final two launch fighters, with promise of more to come with add-on DLC.
Just when we thought we’d heard it all, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate managed to surprise us.
Today’s Nintendo Direct was fully dedicated to the incoming Smash Bros game, which launches on December 7 and is sure to be a big seller over the coming months.
In it, the final two fighters were revealed to be Street Fighter’s Ken – an Echo Fighter of Ryu with more kicking – and the fire-fighting type Pokemon Incineroar, rounding off the list to 74 total fighters at launch.
We’d heard rumors of the so-far unannounced fighters after a convincing Smash Bros leak, which seemed to show a full roster also including Shadow the Hedgehog and a host of other lesser-known Nintendo characters – but they were nowhere to be seen…
It looks like Nintendo will be drip-feeding new characters in paid DLC, with current plans for five add-on packs each with a brand-new fighter, new fighting stage, and additional bonus tracks to underscore the action.
Players can also buy a $24.99 (about £20 / AU$35) Fighters Pass to get access to all five as they release, rather than paying $5.99 per DLC, and will also get an exclusive Mii Fighter outfit based on Rex from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
There’s no firm release dates for the new content – Nintendo stresses they’re still being worked on – but there’s a general expectation that all five packs will release in the next year. We also know that each new fighter will be a fleshed-out character in their own right, rather than just Echo versions of those already on the roster.
We did, however, get a sneak peak of the next addition –none other than the Piranha Plant from the Super Mario series, who’s now able to potter around the game’s stages in its, eh, plant pot while wreaking havoc on Mario and others. We really can’t wait.
Whether or not the ‘leaked’ characters will find their way is uncertain – if there’s no Banjo-Kazooie we’ll feel very cheated – though the inclusion of Incineroar and Piranha Plant does seem to undermine the leaked image.
We’ve run through the Nintendo Direct’s other announcements – on the long-rumored ‘spirits’ and Spirit Mode, for one – alongside the game’s other lore and news in our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate hub.
