Waiting on mysterious DLCs to make their premiere is exciting for fans of any game. As these paid expansions become more and more prevalent, it's a feeling that a lot of people can relate to. That's part of why it was such a big deal when Nintendo announced there would be a second wave of DLC characters for its iconic fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and while COVID has delayed its production, it hasn't hurt its hype.
Just this week, the latest DLC character was revealed, and it made some serious waves. Steve and Alex, the player characters from Minecraft, will be joining the game, ready to test their mettle against Mario, Link, Zelda, and more than seventy other cultural icons. It's a big win for Microsoft to get an exciting cross promotion like this, especially during a year where Microsoft can really use the attention with the launch of the Series X.
On the other end of the spectrum is Sony. Whether Microsoft or Sony has made the better case for its next-gen console is subjective, but Sony's performance in the war for fighter slots in Smash Ultimate is not. Steve is the second Microsoft character to join the battle, while Sony doesn't have a single DLC to its name. The closest thing is Joker from the PlayStation exclusive Persona 5, but he's not Sony property. Sony is really missing out by failing to secure a place in the expansions of Smash so far, and it needs something to battle with Microsoft in this subtly important battlefield.
Microsoft's Big Score
It's always hard for characters owned by other gaming giants to get permission to come to Smash. Far-flung characters that have little to no history with Nintendo always get some of the most attention when they're revealed. Of course, sometimes old friends returning to Nintendo are just as important: Banjo and Kazooie seemed extremely unlikely, so many fans of the duo were elated when they were revealed. It seemed like a spirited collaborative effort between Nintendo and Microsoft, since the latter company has the rights to Banjo and Kazooie nowadays, so it didn't seem likely that Nintendo would manage to strike another deal of that caliber.
That's another reason Steve is such a big deal: Banjo and Kazooie weren't just an outlier collaboration Microsoft permitted to please nostalgic Nintendo fans. This establishes a bond between Nintendo and Microsoft on the Smash Ultimate front. Smash really put an effort into getting Steve into the game, because according to game director Masahiro Sakurai, every stage in the game was adjusted in order to accommodate Steve's moveset. Nintendo really wanted the star of Minecraft in the game, and Microsoft must have too.
Some might say two is only a coincidence, but it could be a pattern indicating more Microsoft characters ahead. For instance, there's lots of interest in Halo's Master Chief joining Smash Ultimate. That reveal would also make extraordinary waves and establish Microsoft's dominance over Sony in Smash. The crossover fighting game might not be playable on either company's consoles, but considering how high player engagement is, Sony could be getting a lot of advertising and property revenue. Microsoft is really winning big on this front, so now the onus is on Sony to get a character or two into the game.
Sony's Possible Counter
It's important to note that Smash Ultimate's DLCs are already locked in. Sakurai has explained before that Nintendo approaches him and his team with characters before development begins, and by the time he starts revealing the new characters, every slot in the DLC pass has already been filled. That means that there's already plans in place for all six characters in the ongoing second wave of DLCs. For all fans know, Sony has already picked a character to pitch to Nintendo and has a representative on the way. It wouldn't be surprising if Sony noticed Banjo and Kazooie, then decided it needed to get in on the action. Such a pitch might be part of the reason Nintendo moved forward with a second Fighters Pass at all.
Sony has plenty of characters that would get a lot of attention if they received an invitation to Smash. For instance, one of Sony's biggest properties right now is the rather new Horizon series, with the second game Horizon Forbidden West on the way. A lot of people would probably be excited if the main character Aloy got to test her mettle against Nintendo's heroes. Alternatively, God of War has gotten a ton of attention ever since its latest Nordic entry released on PS4. Kratos' adventures are far from over, considering he's got another game on the way, so maybe Sony will let Kratos discover another new frontier in Smash.
Untapped Potential
Unfortunately for fans, all of this is hypothetical right now. It could be that Sony is so intensely focused on the PS5 and its upcoming games that it doesn't want to get a slice of the Super Smash Bros Ultimate pie. Regrettable as that possibility may be, it would be hard to fault Sony for feeling that way. It's extremely important that the launch of the PS5 is a success. Still, Sony is such a big company that it's a little hard to believe that it can't spare the resources to negotiate a deal allowing one of its characters in Smash Ultimate and advise Nintendo and Sakurai's team while the fighter is in development.
The longer Sony goes without getting a character in Smash, the more it looks like Microsoft has won over Sony in making a friend in Nintendo. That hardly means the two are going to team up against Sony, but connections and cross promotion go a long way in any industry, and Sony has been doing so well for itself lately that it would be wise to celebrate its success by getting a beloved character into Smash. A second Fighters Pass doesn't mean that there will be new fighters added to Smash Ultimate forever, so if Sony and Sakurai don't already have something planned, time is running out.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now on Switch.
