Did GameStop actually leak Geno for Smash Ultimate?

Michael Gwilliam
GameStop and Geno for Smash?

Smash Ultimate fans have been patiently waiting for the announcement of the next DLC fighter and GameStop may have inadvertently revealed it as Geno in a new video about Paper Mario.

Geno from Super Mario RPG has been a fan-favorite for many fans in both the Japanese and North American communities, frequently near the top of fan ballots.

In a video uploaded by retailer GameStop on July 13, host Pamela Horton was discussing the history of Paper Mario with the release of its newest entry, The Origami King.

Considering Paper Mario is a spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG, Horton discussed the latter’s popularity.

What did GameStop “leak?”

“It was a game way ahead of its time and I could not get enough of it. I mean, there’s a reason people were freaking out when Geno was announced for Smash,” she said.

This line was extremely strange as Geno has yet to be announced as a playable fighter. Is it possible that GameStop had some insider information about future DLC characters?

As she spoke, the screen showed an older Spirit of Geno from Smash Ultimate but just having a Spirit in the game is hardly a character “announcement.”

Geno's Spirit battle in Smash Ultimate
Geno is currently a Spirit in Smash Ultimate.

Is Geno really becoming a Smash fighter?

One possible scenario is that this video about Paper Mario was meant to be released after a fighter announcement and GameStop actually had knowledge about future DLC. It’s also possible that this was just an incredibly poor choice of words to refer to a Spirit.

That said, as we learned from Min Min, Spirits can in fact become future playable fighters, so there’s still a chance that he ends up in the game.

Additionally, it does seem like a fighter announcement is imminent as multiple clues keep piling up. First, a couple of established leakers claimed that a Nintendo Direct will be taking place on July 20.

Smash Ultimate's challenger pack 7
Could Geno be the seventh DLC fighter?

Next, the “new” label on the Smash Ultimate website has been removed, less than a month since ARMS’ Min Min was released. This suggests that a new character could be revealed shortly.

The talk of Geno is also especially strange as a popular theory suggests that he will be announced on the seventh month of the year as the seventh DLC fighter and the seventy-seventh character. Super Mario RPG’s full title is “Legend of the Seven Stars” – could something be happening with the number seven?

Only time will tell if Geno really is the next character coming in Fighters Pass Volume 2. In any case, we won’t have to wait long to find out if the rumors are right.

About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is a senior writer at Dexerto based in Ontario, Canada. He specializes in Overwatch, Smash, influencers, and Twitch culture. Gwilliam has written for sites across Canada including the Toronto Sun. You can contact him at michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com or on Twitter @TheGwilliam