It's pretty clear at this point that 2020 hasn't really gone the way anyone expected it to so far thanks in large part to the global Coronavirus pandemic. In terms of the gaming industry, most annual events like E3 have been scrapped or changed completely to fit this new normal of social distancing and working from home. While major companies like Microsoft and Sony continue full steam ahead with various announcements, Nintendo has been curiously quiet especially with planned summer announcements for games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
The usual Nintendo Direct that fans typically see during E3 week has yet to be seen with rumors swirling that the company has had to significantly delay it due to complications with employees working from home. The same can be said for the planned second fighter pass for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, which now may be facing delays over the current situation that Nintendo, Bandai Namco, and Sora, Ltd. employees currently find themselves in.
In his normal column with Famitsu, game director Masahiro Sakurai provided an update of sorts on his team, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and the current situation. While he mentions that much of the staff admits that working from home is less stressful due to a lack of commuting and beneficial for caring for their family, it is ultimately proving to be a challenge. Normal challenges like communication and internet related problems crop up, though it also seems that many developers don't have a decent home setup to work effectively with has slowed down the development process.
For those who may not have certain equipment that they need such as a workable desk, chair, or other hardware, Sakurai's company Sora Co. Ltd. is providing relief to employees currently working on Smash Ultimate. The staff simply sends Sakurai the item they require on Amazon and he orders it for them to be shipped directly to their house. Dozens have already reached out and the main reason why Sakurai has intervened is due to the speed that he can move at to help out. Sakurai is expecting this way of life to continue for a while, but he remains absolute that he will do his best.
While the future may be a bit uncertain, thankfully, it's not all bad news. Earlier today, Nintendo revealed plans to reveal the first DLC character for the second Fighter Pass next week in a new 35 minute video. While fans don't know how exactly it'll be, it is known to be a fighter from the Switch exclusive game, ARMS. It's also being speculated that the announcement was likely going to be revealed in the planned Nintendo Direct, but had to have been removed similar to the surprise announcement of Paper Mario: The Origami King due to the timing issues with the reveal and release.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is out now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
Source: PushDustin (via Famitsu)