RIP: Nintendo Has Officially Pulled The Plug On Smash Bros. Ultimate
After three years of loyal service, it's official, Nintendo is pulling the plug on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The brutal brawler is on life support, as the House that Mario built confirms the final fighter update is on the way.
It was a good run, and continuing that tradition of chart-topping Super Smash Bros. games, Ultimate lived up to its promise of being the biggest entry in the franchise's 22-year history. Sadly, alongside news that Kingdom Hearts' Sora is the last DLC character, development is winding down.
When Is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Ending?
Giving Super Smash Bros. Ultimate the final hurrah, the Nintendo UK Twitter confirmed the 13.0.1 patch will be the last to update the impressive roster of fighters. The tweet reads, "Ver. 13.0.1 of Super #SmashBrosUltimate is coming soon! This update includes the final fighter adjustments, meaning replay data from previous versions will be incompatible."
While this sounds like devastating news, it's important to note that many believed the 13.0.0 patch that added Sora was going to be the last for balancing. There's something of a silver lining, considering we could get one final adjustment for your favourite characters.
There are no details on what the patch contains and when it will release, but we're told it's coming soon. Importantly though, anything that is broken after the final patch will remain broken... forever. The news comes after in-game tournaments and Spirit Boards were axed.
What's Next For Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
Although it might look like the end of the road for Ultimate, rest assured there's still life in the old gal yet. Even though we won't be getting Master Chief, Crash Bandicoot, or Waluigi, Nintendo has teamed up with Panda Global to launch the first Smash Championship in 2022. It's likely this that has squeezed one more patch out of the team.
As for what comes next, your guess is as good as ours. Some gamers still play Super Smash Bros. Melee, so don't expect Ultimate to be disappearing altogether. Of course, just like questions about Mario Kart 9, fans are expecting an Ultimate sequel. Three years is a pretty good lifespan, but as one door closes, expect another to open in the world of Smash.