Sakurai teases Smash Ultimate DLC “soon” & debunks Fighters Pass 3 rumors

Michael Gwilliam
Sakurai as Smash Ultimate DLC fighter

Masahiro Sakurai has confirmed that Super Smash Bros Ultimate will be coming to an end once Fighters Pass Volume 2 wraps up, obliterating any hopes for a possible third pass.

Smash Ultimate has become one of the biggest, if not the greatest, crossover game of all time, featuring gaming legends such as Solid Snake, Mario, Cloud, Link, Ryu, and even Steve from Minecraft. Sadly, all things must come to an end.

With only two fighters remaining in Fighters Pass Volume 2 and the final DLC set to release by December 2021, Smash Ultimate’s ongoing content is finally reaching its climax.

In a May 26 Famitsu column, the Smash boss dug into his possible retirement plans, ending his column when the last DLC is released and reaffirmed that this will be all she wrote.

Smash Bros creator Sakurai with Nairo, MKLeo
Sakurai plans to end his Famitsu column this year.

Sakurai teases the next Smash Ultimate DLC fighter

In a translation by Robert Sephazon on Twitter, Sakurai revealed that Smash Ultimate will be “finalized” once all the DLC is out and he believes that time will be “quite soon.”

It’s been highly speculated that Challenger Pack 10 will be revealed at E3 in June, but it’s also possible that fans end up with a double reveal, similar to how Banjo and Hero were announced together in 2019.

As for the next fighter’s identity, Sakurai didn’t provide any sort of hints, but fans have been thinking that E3 would be an ideal time to reveal a Western character such as Crash Bandicoot or even Xbox icon Master Chief.

Fighters Pass Volume 2 rumors quashed

Furthermore, Sakurai put to rest any rumors of a third fighters pass. “Sakurai says that while we wait, he can say definitively there are only two fighters remaining. They will both be released this year,” his column stated.

Of course, it is always possible that we end up getting something extra as a bonus. An official Nintendo website seemed to suggest there is one additional DLC fighter still to come, but Sakurai may have dealt a major blow to that theory.

It should also be noted, however, that with Smash 4 on Wii U, there were a few balance updates after that game’s final DLC fighter, Bayonetta, was released. So, even though Sakurai says Ultimate will be “finalized” expect some patches post DLC 11.

In any case, it’s been one heck of a ride and we can’t wait to see who the final two DLC fighters are and what will be next for the Smash franchise, especially with rumors of an upgraded Switch Pro console coming soon.

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