Speculation is growing around the upcoming installment of the Super Smash Bros series, fueled by a recent stealth update for Smash Ultimate and news regarding the reproduction of GameCube controllers.
Since the announcement of Sora from Kingdom Hearts as the last DLC character in Smash Ultimate, fans have been eagerly discussing the series’ future following Masahiro Sakurai’s retirement.
Rumors began circulating after Sakurai transitioned to YouTube, where he mentioned he “couldn’t envision”a Smash title without his involvement, expressing his desire to collaborate with Nintendo on a future game.
While it remains uncertain whether the next installment, potentially referred to as Smash 6, will be a brand new platform fighter or a “deluxe”version of Smash Ultimate, similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, new hints suggest that development might be underway.
Nintendo may be preparing for a new Smash announcement.
On October 11, reports from EventHubs highlighted a Resetera user’s discovery of a shipping manifest, which possibly referenced a new GameCube controller—an iconic accessory since the days of 2001’s Melee.
This controller is equipped with a TRW1230 motor, found in the Nintendo 64 controller for Nintendo Switch Online, hinting that Nintendo could be preparing to launch some GameCube games as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack—or perhaps for another purpose entirely.
Interestingly, on October 8, a minor update for Smash Ultimate was released, which, although lacking in balance modifications, has led fans to speculate that work on a new installment is in progress.
So hot take maybe but the next Smash is 100% in development right now and the fact they’re patching Ultimate is a clear indication that they’re building off it https://t.co/FYQ7V7QizV
— Bring Back Banjo (@BringBackBanjoK) October 9, 2024
“I might be bold in saying this, but I believe the next Smash game is definitely in the works, and the recent patch on Ultimate confirms they are expanding on it,” one user commented on X.
“The last update occurred in February 2024, and prior to that, the game hadn’t seen changes since 2021. It’s evident to me that the Smash Bros Team (Studio 2 of Namco) is back at work on the next title,” noted popular streamer Stealth40k.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate received a small update last night. The last update was February 2024 and before that, the game hadn’t been updated since 2021. It seems obvious to me that the Smash Bros Team (Namco Studio’s 2 & S) are back working on the next game in the series. pic.twitter.com/T5g4smvOD3
— Stealth (@Stealth40k) October 9, 2024
Last year, job postings from the Smash development team, recently rebranded as Studio 2/Studio S, indicated they were seeking new personnel well-versed in action games, particularly in the ‘side-view’ format.
While nothing has been officially confirmed, the anticipation surrounding the Switch 2 has raised expectations that a new Smash title may be announced alongside the new console launch.
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