Will There Be a Super Smash Bros Game After Ultimate?

Is there ever going to be another game in the Super Smash Bros series? The series has become a mainstay of competitive fighting games, with two different titles always in play. However, Ultimate has been around for longer than most games in this series normally last. We don’t have any indication of another one on the horizon. So is there even a new Smash Bros game in the works?

Smash Bros is one of the biggest fighting game series. We don’t normally expect these games to take much time off. Especially considering just how well Ultimate sold. However, with a series creator and director effectively retired from the series, things are a bit more uncertain. So, will there be another Smash Bros Game?

Nintendo

Will There Be Another Smash Bros Game After Ultimate?

Super Smash Bros Ultimate was a huge accomplishment for the series. It was giant, with a roster of Smash characters that’s unlikely to ever be bested. However, it was also something of a swansong for the series creator and director Sakurai.

Sakurai has helmed Smash Bros since the very start. Along the way, he’s tried to exit the series in the past. But his involvement has always been central to each game’s production. As far back as the second game in the series though, a Smash game without him was possible. Nintendo announced Melee without asking him before he got back involved in production. More recently, he has said a few times that he’d never make another Smash after Smash 4. After Ultimate, it looks more than ever like he might actually be done this time.

It’s possible that Ultimate’s expansive scale, scope, and fan-pleasing roster was a parting gift from the franchise. We might not see another Smash Bros game helmed by Sakurai. However, that probably won’t mean we never see one again.

Nintendo Needs a New Smash Eventually

Super Smash Bros Ultimate had insane sales figures for the series. It’s one of the Switch’s best-selling games. Since the Switch is on track to be the best-selling, or second-best, console of all time, it’s hard to understate just how important Smash Ultimate has been for this generation of gaming. Basically, Smash makes far too much money to get left on the shelf.

It’s unlikely Nintendo will take retirement as the final word on Super Smash Bros. In the past, when Sakurai tried to move away from the series, Nintendo has decided to plow ahead without him. If the director doesn’t want to helm another Smash, we might get a different take on the franchise.

It’s incredibly unlikely that the answer to will there be another Smash game is no. We might be in our longest Smash Bros gap, but that’s largely due to Nintendo’s own “once a-generation cycle” and how long-lasting the Switch has been. Once we meet the successor to the Switch, a new Smash will almost certainly be in development. But what else can even be done with the franchise?

Source: Nintendo

Ultimate Can’t be Out Scaled

We might need to face more Smash in the future, but it would be wrong to throw Ultimate out entirely. The game has achieved stability and longevity that few fighters can manage, Melee especially is a standout. An Ultimate edition of Ultimate, with all DLC, could keep the game available on new hardware.

On the other hand, a future Smash game would probably have to take a different approach. It’s going to be nearly impossible to outdo Ultimate in terms of scope. Instead, a future Smash should focus on quality. The core cast of characters doesn’t have nearly as polished moves or mechanics as those added more recently. Stripping the franchise back to a more reasonable size and focusing on quality could go a long way. It could even free up resources to follow up on some of Smash’s weaker points, like single-player gameplay and the story mode.

Source: Nintendo

It’s almost certain that there will be another Smash Bros game. What kind of Smash we get very much remains to be seen though. It’ll be interesting to see where they decide to take the franchise once we finally move on from Ultimate. And if the competitive community follows, or if Ultimate remains a part of Smash esports like Melee has done. It’s possible future Smash Bros esports events see Ultimate, Melee, and a future title all in play.