There is still no sign of when Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's fifth DLC character will be released, or even when it will be announced, meaning fans can only continue to argue and debate over who will be joining the already 70+ roster of gaming icons. For the time being, though, a new online tournament has been announced and is sure to make a certain set of fans happy, as it will be celebrating Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Released on the GameCube in 2001, Melee is still championed by some as the best entry in the Super Smash Bros. series and continues to be played at a competitive level even nearly 20 years after its release. Nintendo seems to acknowledge this with how it has created adaptors so players could still use their GameCube controllers when playing the Wii U and Switch titles. It was also the game that introduced the West to Fire Emblem thanks to the inclusions of Marth and Roy, which has arguably led to the series' current popularity.
Titled "Melee is Life," the tournament will run from January 3rd - January 6th and those that take part will only be able to play as one of the characters that initially debuted in Melee - Peach, Bowser, Ice Climbers, Sheik, Zelda, Dr. Mario, Pichu, Falco, Marth, Young Link, Ganondorf, Mewtwo, Roy, and Mr. Game & Watch. Both stages and items will also be limited to those that only appeared in Melee, with the only exception being the Smash Ball item, so players can still pull off the Final Smash moves. Just like previous tournaments, the better a player's placement, the better Spirit they will be rewarded with.
As for the next DLC character, it was widely assumed that it would have been announced at the Game Awards last month, but nothing Super Smash Bros. related was even mentioned. Geoff Keighly himself did shed some light on the situation, but fans are still left wanting.
At this point, we potentially have a better understanding of who won't be announced as the next fighter. Some renowned leakers have supposedly de-confirmed a number of fan-favorites, such as Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia and Dante from Devil May Cry. This doesn't necessarily mean that these characters won't be included later down the line and it is also important to note that these aren't official sources so they shouldn't be taken as 100% accurate.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch.
