Why Smash Ultimate fans think Overwatch’s Tracer could be next DLC fighter

With a Nintendo Direct finally happening on February 17, Super Smash Bros Ultimate fans have been wondering who the next DLC fighter will be, and some believe it could be Overwatch’s Tracer.

On February 16, Nintendo announced that a Direct would be taking place and that Smash Ultimate would be just one of the games talked about, suggesting that a DLC reveal would be imminent.

While this announcement caught fans off-guard, especially considering many suspected the next DLC to be shown off in March, its proximity to BlizzCon is leading some fans to speculate that the next fighter is from Activision-Blizzard.

BlizzCon is scheduled for February 19 and is going to feature all sorts of announcements and updates on upcoming titles such as Overwatch 2. And what better way to celebrate BlizzCon and Overwatch than with a character from that game.

As fans pointed out on Reddit, a fighter reveal so close to BlizzCon seems very similar to what happened with Minecraft Steve and MineCon.

•  Read More: 6 major Nintendo Direct announcements to expect on Feb 17

“Just like Steve being announced the week of MineCon, this weekend is BlizzCon,” Redditor TakenPassword wrote. “Granted, any Blizzard character could be announced but I think Tracer’s vibe fits Smash the most. She is also Overwatch’s mascot character and Overwatch is one of two Blizzard games on the Switch.”

Another user felt the same way, commenting, “When Steve was announced for SSBU he was announced a few days before MineCon just so they can feature him with his moveset at the beginning of the convention.”

One more thing that Overwatch has going for it is how the game’s director Jeff Kaplan has been vocal about wanting Tracer in Smash.

•  Read More: Multiple fan-favorite Smash Ultimate DLC fighters possibly ruled out

“To the Smash Brothers team, whatever character you want, we love them all. They’re all our babies, you can have any single one of them. We have 31 to choose from,” Kaplan said in a 2019 interview with IGN. At the time, the game only had 31 heroes available.

Kaplan would once again remark about Tracer in Smash during a July 30 2020 Reddit AMA. When asked if he could have any Overwatch hero in Smash, his swift, yet simple, response was “Tracer plz.”

Of course, take all of this as just theorycrafting by fans, but it does seem like quite a coincidence. Additionally, though BlizzCon is reserved for Blizzard titles, there is always the possibility that Crash Bandicoot is revealed – a fighter many fans also believe could be next.

Crash coming to Smash with the inclusion of some Overwatch Mii Fighters could be a fun, plausible option too. We’ll just have to see what the future holds for the franchise. After this character, only two will remain in Fighters Pass Volume 2.

The Nintendo Direct airs February 17 at 2PM PST.