Downloadable content (SSBU)
- For downloadable content available in this game's predecessor, see Downloadable content (SSB4). For general information, see Downloadable content.
In the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct on November 1st, 2018, Masahiro Sakurai confirmed that paid DLC would be available for Ultimate. The initial wave of content comes in the form of five Challenger Pack bundles, each containing one entirely unique fighter, one stage, and several music tracks. These bundles, which are also available through a complete pack known as the Fighters Pass, were released periodically through January 28th, 2020. Additionally, Piranha Plant was available for free as a limited time early purchase bonus, and is currently available for purchase separate from the Fighters Pass. On November 6th, 2018, Sakurai announced on his Twitter account that the initial DLC line-up was finalized, and that potential fighters were proposed by Nintendo, with Sakurai passing final approval on them.[1]
During the Nintendo Direct on September 4th, 2019, Nintendo revealed that more DLC fighters were set to be in production after the first Fighters Pass, due to Ultimate's strong sales.[2] As with before, Nintendo proposed the potential fighters and Sakurai passed final approval.[3] On January 16th, 2020, Fighters Pass Vol. 2 was announced, with the previous Fighters Pass retroactively being dubbed Vol. 1.[4] The Pass will include six Challenger Packs; just like in Vol. 1, each pack contains one fighter, one stage, and several music tracks.[5][6] Vol. 2 was made available for purchase alongside Byleth on January 28th, 2020. These six packs are planned to be released by December 31st, 2021. According to Sakurai, this will be the last DLC released for Ultimate.[7] He also said that the DLC characters for the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 may face delay or development that will be stopped indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of lockdowns in various cities in Japan, development will continue through remote working. [8][9] Despite this, development for the Fighter Pass Vol. 2 is going smoothly without problems as of April 2020.[10]
Updates
Updates to the game are downloadable at no extra cost. In order to use DLC, the game must be updated to the latest version, which can be done automatically by starting the game from the system's Home Menu, or manually triggered from the Switch's Home Menu. Most updates also adjust game balance and mechanics, while fixing glitches and other errors as well. Changelogs for all updates are available at the links above.
As with any other game, DLC data is added via free updates. Completing a transaction to receive DLC is merely a "ticket" to grant access to said content. What this means is that DLC not purchased in an updated version is still technically installed but locked, and thus is accessible indirectly. Content that is locked can be seen and played against with opponents connecting via a system that has paid for the DLC (within Wireless and Online modes). Aside from this, locked content can also be seen using amiibo as Figure Players, and saving uploaded or shared replays.
Fighters
As every veteran is in the base game and none were cut, all DLC characters are newcomers.
Each DLC character is unlocked in Adventure Mode: World of Light after awakening 10 fighters.
Standalone Fighter
- Piranha Plant (January 29th, 2019)
- Piranha Plant was revealed as the first DLC fighter in Ultimate during the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct on November 1st, 2018, and was released on January 29th, 2019. It was available as a free bonus until January 31st, 2019 to anyone who purchased the digital version of Ultimate or registered their physical version with MyNintendo. While Piranha Plant is not part of any Fighters Pass or any Challenger Pack (and thus does not come with a stage, music, or spirits), it was made available for purchase separately on February 1st, 2019. It is the only DLC character with a unique Palutena's Guidance conversation.
Fighters Pass Vol. 1
- Joker (April 17th, 2019)
- Joker from Persona 5 was announced as the second DLC fighter during The Game Awards 2018 on December 6th, 2018, and was released on April 17th, 2019. He is the first playable character included with the Fighters Pass Vol. 1. As part of Challenger Pack 1, his accompanying stage is Mementos, and features music from Persona 5 as well as Persona 4, Persona 3, and the original Revelations: Persona.
- Hero (July 30th, 2019)
- Four protagonists from Dragon Quest serving under the generic moniker of Hero were announced as the third DLC fighter during Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct on June 11th, 2019 and was released on July 30th, 2019. He is the second character included with the Fighters Pass Vol. 1. As part of Challenger Pack 2, his accompanying stage is Yggdrasil's Altar and features music from Dragon Quest XI, III, IV, and VIII.
- Banjo & Kazooie (September 4th, 2019)
- Banjo & Kazooie from the Banjo-Kazooie series were announced as the fourth DLC fighter during Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct on June 11th, 2019 and were released on September 4th, 2019. They are the third character included with the Fighters Pass Vol. 1. As part of Challenger Pack 3, their accompanying stage is Spiral Mountain, and features music from Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie.
- Terry (November 6th, 2019)
- Terry Bogard from the Fatal Fury series was announced as the fifth DLC fighter during Nintendo's September 2019 Direct, on September 4th, 2019 and was released on November 6th, 2019. He is the fourth character included with the Fighters Pass Vol. 1. As part of Challenger Pack 4, his accompanying stage is King of Fighters Stadium, and features music from various SNK franchises, which includes Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters, along with series such as Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown, and Metal Slug.
- Byleth (January 28th, 2020)
- Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, with male and female variants, was announced as the sixth DLC fighter during a Mr. Sakurai Presents video on January 16th, 2020, and was released on the 28th of that same month. He is the fifth and final fighter in the first Fighters Pass. As part of Challenger Pack 5, his accompanying stage is Garreg Mach Monastery, and features music from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Fighters Pass Vol. 2
- Min Min (June 29th, 2020)
- Min Min from ARMS was announced as the seventh DLC fighter during a Mr. Sakurai Presents video on June 22nd, 2020, three months after a character from ARMS was confirmed to be in development during the March 26th, 2020 Nintendo Direct Mini. She is the first fighter featured in the Fighters Pass Vol. 2, and was released on June 29th, 2020 as part of Challenger Pack 6. Her accompanying stage is Spring Stadium, which features music from ARMS.
- Steve (2020)
- Challenger Pack Fighters 8-11 (2020-2021)
- More DLC for Ultimate was announced on September 4th, 2019, along with Terry, and was fully revealed to be in the form of a second Fighters Pass known as Fighters Pass Vol. 2 announced on January 16th, 2020, along with Byleth. There will be six new Challenger Packs in Vol. 2 instead of five, with its contents set to roll out before the end of 2021. The identities of the next four characters currently remain unknown.
Stages
Standalone Stage
- Small Battlefield (August 4th, 2020)
- Small Battlefield was added as a standalone stage as part of the 8.1.0 update. The stage is identical to Battlefield with the exception of the removal of the top platform, the remaining two floating platforms shifting slightly closer to each other.
Fighters Pass Vol. 1
- Mementos (April 17th, 2019)
- Mementos comes as a set with Joker as part of Challenger Pack 1. Mementos has one main platform with a slant in the middle similar to Meta Crystal, with one platform over the center and another over the left side. Trains periodically appear in the background, the set below the stage being able to damage fighters. Occasionally, a large triangle-shaped wall appears at the top or on the sides of the stage. The trains and the walls will never appear at the same time.
- If a song from Persona 3 or Persona 4 is playing during a match, the color scheme of Mementos will change from red to blue or yellow respectively, the respective primary colors for each game. The decoration in the background also changes to either a moon or the streaks found in Persona 4's UI. If Joker wins a match with the alternate music, the victory pose screen and subsequent music change accordingly to the ones found in the home series.
- Mementos comes as a set with Joker as part of Challenger Pack 1. Mementos has one main platform with a slant in the middle similar to Meta Crystal, with one platform over the center and another over the left side. Trains periodically appear in the background, the set below the stage being able to damage fighters. Occasionally, a large triangle-shaped wall appears at the top or on the sides of the stage. The trains and the walls will never appear at the same time.
- Yggdrasil's Altar (July 30th, 2019)
- Yggdrasil's Altar comes as a set with the Hero as part of Challenger Pack 2. It consists of a flat main platform that travels over the world of Erdrea, with smaller platforms appearing on occasion. Treasure chests may appear on one of these platforms. Usually, opening them will release an item, but these chests may sometimes be Mimics that can damage fighters; defeating them will cause them to drop an item.
- Spiral Mountain (September 4th, 2019)
- Spiral Mountain comes as a set with Banjo & Kazooie as part of Challenger Pack 3. The fight takes place on the peak of the titular mountain. The stage will rotate every so often, which determines whether or not fighters can stand on the slope of the mountain. Soft platforms and a bridge to Gruntilda's Lair will also appear on occasion.
- King of Fighters Stadium (November 6th, 2019)
- The King of Fighters Stadium comes as a set with Terry as part of Challenger Pack 4. It is a stadium based on "The King of Fighters" tournament. The stage is completely flat, and there are no bottom blast zones. The blast zones on the sides are blocked off by an invisible wall that can be broken when opponents are dealt enough knockback.
- Garreg Mach Monastery (January 28th, 2020)
- Garreg Mach Monastery comes as a set with Byleth as part of Challenger Pack 5. It is a traveling stage taking place in the primary location of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, stopping specifically at the Marketplace, the Reception Hall, the Bridge, and the Cathedral. All locations have walk-off blastlines, with the Marketplace featuring destructible booths, the Reception Hall having chandeliers that can be dropped, and the Cathedral making use of semi-solid platforms.
Fighters Pass Vol. 2
- Spring Stadium (June 29th, 2020)
- Spring Stadium comes as a set with Min Min as part of Challenger Pack 6. It consists of a single floating platform with periodically-activating bounce platforms on both edges as well as on a soft platform hovering above. Periodically-appearing small bounce platforms may appear beneath and to either side of the main platform as well. Stadium arches are located near the upper blast zone, and can be used to break an otherwise KO-inducing fall.
- Minecraft Stage (2020)
- The currently unnamed Minecraft Stage comes as a set with Steve as part of Challenger Pack 7.
- Challenger Pack Stages 8-11 (2020-2021)
- On January 16th, 2020, six more Challenger Packs were announced to be in development and bundled with six new fighters. What the stages are for the next four challengers have yet to be announced.
Modes
- DLC Spirits (April 17th, 2019)
- Houses spirit battles for the spirits associated with each Challenger Pack.
- Stage Builder (April 17th, 2019)
- A returning mode from Brawl and for Wii U.
- Video Editor (April 17th, 2019)
- In the Video Editor, multiple replays can be modified and strung together to create a full video.
- Version 4.0.0 allows players to add screenshots to their videos.
- Shared Content (April 17th, 2019)
- Shared Content enables sharing, downloading, and liking Stage Builder levels, Mii Fighters, and videos created by other users.
- Version 4.0.0 allows players to play videos consecutively.
- Version 5.0.0 allows players to customize the movesets of downloaded Mii Fighters.
- amiibo Journey (May 31st, 2019)
- Online option that allows players to send their amiibo against each other.
- VR (May 31st, 2019)
- Compatibility with the Nintendo Labo Virtual Reality was added in the 3.1 update, allowing players to view certain stages in a full 360 degrees.
- Spectator Mode (July 30th, 2019)
- A returning mode from Brawl and Smash 4, players can bet for prediction points that can be used to purchase items.
- Online Tourney and Event Tourney (July 30th, 2019)
- A returning mode from Smash for Wii U, the rules are preset, with special event tourneys being held from time to time.
- Home-Run Contest (September 4th, 2019)
- A returning mode from Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4. Added in the 5.0.0 update, Home Run Contest has been stated to be, at the moment, the last mode added to Ultimate.
- Rematch (June 29th, 2020)
- A feature of the Spirit List that allows players to rematch any Spirits unlocked at any time. A high score is added for each Spirit rematched, based on the strength of the player's equipped team.
Mii Costumes
Additional costumes for the Mii Fighters are available as paid DLC, with a total of 51 pieces of headgear and outfits as of Round 5 of DLC Mii Costumes.
Bonuses for purchasing the Fighters Passes
(December 7th, 2018)
- The Rex Mii costume is exclusive to purchasing the Fighters Pass Vol. 1 and consists of the Rex wig and outfit, based on Rex from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
(January 28th, 2020)
- The Ancient Soldier Gear Mii costume is exclusive to purchasing the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 and consists of the Ancient Helm and Ancient Cuirass, based on the Ancient Soldier Gear available to Link in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Costume Build Rex Wig, Rex Outfit Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Ancient Helm, Ancient Soldier Gear Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)
Round 1
(April 17th, 2019)
Costume Build Morgana Hat All types (headgear) Persona 4 Protagonist Wig, Persona 4 Protagonist Outfit Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Teddie Hat All types (headgear) Persona 3 Protagonist Wig, Persona 3 Protagonist Outfit Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Tails Wig, Tails Outfit Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)Knuckles Wig, Knuckles Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)
Round 2
(July 30th, 2019)
- The second wave of Mii Fighter outfits features costumes from the Dragon Quest series. Thus far, it is the only round to not include returning costumes from Smash 4. Oddly, the trailer music is the standard Ultimate theme instead of any Dragon Quest music.
Costume Build Veronica's Hat, Veronica's Outfit Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Erdrick's Helmet, Erdrick's Armour Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Martial Artist Wig, Martial Artist Gi Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Slime Hat All types
Round 3
(September 4th, 2019)
- The third wave of Mii Fighter outfits differs from the previous rounds as they are unrelated to the released character. Instead, new costumes come from the Pokémon, Goemon, and Undertale series, while two Mega Man costumes return from Smash 4. Sans' costume also comes with a remix of MEGALOVANIA, and is the first Mii costume to come included with a music track.
Costume Build Goemon Wig, Goemon Outfit Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Proto Man's Helmet, Proto Man's Armor Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)Zero's Helmet, Zero's Armor Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Team Rocket Hat, Team Rocket Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Sans Mask, Sans Outfit, MEGALOVANIA Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)
Round 4
(November 6th, 2019)
- The fourth wave of Mii Fighter outfits features costumes from the Samurai Shodown, Art of Fighting, and King of Fighters franchises, as well as the returning Virtua Fighter series costumes from Smash 4.
Costume Build Nakoruru Wig, Nakoruru Outfit Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Ryo Sakazaki Wig, Ryo Sakazaki Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Iori Yagami Wig, Iori Yagami Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Akira Wig, Akira Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Jacky Wig, Jacky Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)
Round 5
(January 28th, 2020)
- The fifth wave of Mii Fighter outfits is the final round coinciding with the initial set of the Fighters Pass Vol. 1. Like Round 3, the costumes included are unrelated to the released character. Instead, it features costumes from the Assassin's Creed, Rabbids, and Cuphead franchises, in addition to the remaining Mega Man series costumes from Smash 4. Much like the Sans costume from Round 3, Cuphead comes with the musical track Floral Fury.
Costume Build Altaïr Hood, Altaïr Outfit Mii Swordfighter (outfit)
All types (headgear)Rabbids Hat All types X's Helmet, X's Armor Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)MegaMan.EXE's Helmet, MegaMan.EXE's Armor Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)Cuphead Hat, Cuphead Outfit, Floral Fury Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)
Round 6
(June 29th, 2020)
- The sixth wave of Mii Fighter outfits is the first round of costumes for Fighters Pass Vol. 2, and features costumes from ARMS, Splatoon, and Fallout, as well as the returning Heihachi costume from Smash 4.
Costume Build Ninjara Wig, Ninjara Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Heihachi Wig, Heihachi Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Callie Wig, Callie Outfit Mii Brawler (outfit)
All types (headgear)Marie Wig, Marie Outfit Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)Vault Boy Mask, Vault 111 Jumpsuit Mii Gunner (outfit)
All types (headgear)
Spirits
While some Spirits are available for free, usually launched during Spirit Board events, others require a purchase from another character. These spirits (excluding Fighter spirits, which can be unlocked through Classic Mode or purchased from the shop for 300 coins) can be accessed through a special DLC-exclusive Spirit Board that does not have spirits expire or use the Puppet fighter scene.
A handful of other spirits are also updated when certain Mii Costumes are purchased and downloaded. These spirits can either come from the base game or can be DLC exclusive, but will change to include new costumes or songs that are related to the spirits.
Nintendo Switch Online Free Items
These free item bundles are special offers exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members; typically releasing close to the release date of a new Challenger Pack. They are available to download for a limited time only, and distribution will end without warning.
- Spirit Board Battle Set 1 - For Tackling All Sorts of Spirits (July 30th, 2019)
- Includes 1,500 SP, 10 Shuffle All, 10 All Primaries, 10 All Supports.
- Spirit Board Battle Set 2 - For Powerful Spirits (August 30th, 2019)
- Includes 1,500 SP, 5 Rematch, 5 Damage 50%, 5 Weaken Minions, 5 Health Drain.
- Vault Shopper Set - Classic Tickets and Gold for Music, Mii Costumes and More (November 4th, 2019)
- Includes 5,000 G, 3 Classic Tickets.
- Spirit Training Set - Bolster Your Spirits (January 27th, 2020)
- Includes 3,000 SP, Snack (S) x 100, Snack (M) x 30, Snack (L) x 5.
- Spirit Board Challenger Pack 5 - Snipe Your Targets (June 25th, 2020)
- Includes 10 All Primaries, 10 All Supports, 5 Rematch, 10 Sluggish Shield, 10 Shield Spacer
Challenger Packs
Every fighter, with the exception of Piranha Plant, is bundled with a stage, music tracks, and spirits belonging to the character related as a DLC Spirit Board. In addition to Fighter Spirits, other Spirits also can be purchased from the Vault Shop even if no Challenger Packs were purchased. There are five Challenger Packs in total in the Fighters Pass Vol. 1, and six in Fighters Pass Vol. 2. Both are priced at a discount, with the prices being equivalent to getting one of the Challenger Packs for free.
Fighters Pass Vol. 1
Fighters Pass Vol. 2
Pack No. | Fighter | Stage | Universe | Songs | Spirits | Release date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Min Min |
Spring Stadium |
ARMS |
|
June 29th, 2020 | |
7 | Steve |
Minecraft stage |
Minecraft | unknown | unknown | unknown |
8 | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
9 | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
10 | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
11 | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
Songs in bold italics denote Smash arrangements. Spirits in bold denote Fighter Spirits.
Pricing
Challenger Packs and Fighters Pass
The pass can be purchased with the digital version of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at a combined price.
Mii Fighter costumes
DLC Trailer Video
Gallery
Trivia
- Following the announcement of the Hero and Banjo & Kazooie, the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site went from listing six DLC characters (Piranha Plant, Joker, and four "unknown"/empty slots) to listing eight (adding the Hero and Banjo & Kazooie without removing any of the empty slots). As there was no corresponding announcement of additional downloadable characters, this was likely an error, and it was later fixed.
- Terry is currently the only DLC character to not involve at least one other character to assist him in his Final Smash, as Piranha Plant summons Petey Piranha, Joker summons the Phantom Thieves in one of two groups of three, the Hero summons the seven other Heroes not represented as costumes, Banjo & Kazooie summon a group of Jinjos and The Mighty Jinjonator, Byleth is powered up by Sothis in his Final Smash, Min Min's involves six characters from ARMS, and Steve's features a bunch of Zombies and Creepers.
- Byleth is the only second-party character in the Fighters Pass Vol. 1.
- Banjo-Kazooie was originally a second-party Nintendo property prior to Rare's acquisition by Microsoft.
- Thus far, every DLC fighter on the Fighters Pass has had a cinematic Final Smash. Additionally, every DLC stage has featured other characters making cameos on the stage (in the case of Spring Stadium, the characters only cameo in the screens in the background).
- Challenger Pack 2 is so far the only Challenger Pack to not contain any Smash arrangements.
- It is also currently the only Challenger Pack to contain a single-digit number of total tracks, being 8.
- Challenger Pack 4 currently holds the most music added as downloadable content in both Ultimate and SSB4's history, with a total of 50 tracks.
- Similarly, Fatal Fury has the highest music count out of any third party company across both games, due to the various tracks from multiple series.
- Challenger Pack 5 is the only DLC pack in Fighters Pass Vol. 1 to have none of its contents revealed prior to its presentation. For Challenger Pack 1, only the fighter, Joker, was revealed prior to its presentation, specifically 4 months prior at the Game Awards 2018.
- Challenger Pack 5 is also the only one so far to include music tracks that can play in multiple stages.
- With the exception of Piranha Plant (referred to by its Japanese name "packun"), every downloadable fighter’s name in the code differs from that of their actual names.
- Joker's code name is "jack", Hero's is "brave", Banjo & Kazooie's is "buddy", Terry's is "dolly", Byleth's is "master", and Min Min's is "tantan".
- Banjo & Kazooie and Terry are the only members of the Fighters Pass Vol. 1 who:
- Cannot be named by the player.
- Did not originate from a role-playing game.
- Are not voiced in multiple languages in their origin games. Banjo & Kazooie only have an English voice actor while Terry only has a Japanese voice actor. Although the Luminary only has a Japanese voice actor in Ultimate, he has both an English and Japanese voice actor in Dragon Quest XI.
- Appeared in the first games of their series. Joker debuted in the sixth Persona game, none of the Heroes are from the original Dragon Quest, and Byleth debuted in the 16th main entry of the Fire Emblem series.
- Do not have alternate costumes that change their model.
- Because the credits in Classic Mode are not updated when a new DLC character is added, Joker is the only DLC character whose voice actors are credited in Classic Mode, as Xander Mobus is credited as the announcer, while Jun Fukuyama is credited as Roy.
- Although Chris Sutherland, who voices Banjo & Kazooie, also voices Klaptrap through a voice sample originally provided for Donkey Kong Country, he was not credited for this role.
- Banjo & Kazooie and Min Min are currently the only DLC characters whose voice clips are recycled from their own games rather than recorded specifically for Smash.
See also
References
- ^ https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/1059958604818657282
- ^ https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1169375615851491328
- ^ https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1171811621695418369
- ^ https://twitter.com/NintendoVS/status/1217829591244369925
- ^ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200116005237/en/Byleth-Fire-Emblem-Series-Joins-Roster-Super
- ^ https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1218186527794061313?s=19
- ^ https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-says-smash-bros-ultimate-fighters-pass-vol-2-will-be-the-last-dlc-works-to-make-people-happy-unsure-about-series-future/
- ^ https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurais-full-comments-on-the-coronavirus-and-how-it-may-impact-smash-bros-ultimate-dlc/
- ^ https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/1247391877734645760
- ^ https://twitter.com/Sephazon/status/1255523291428765696