Super Smash Bros Ultimate’s next fighter reveal may be a lot less flashy than previous ones, as Nintendo has reportedly canceled its June Direct.
On March 26, 2020, it was announced that the first character as part of Fighters Pass Volume 2 would be from the ARMS series, which would be revealed and released in June.
However, a subsequent report from VultureBeat claims that Nintendo is telling partner developers that it will not be holding a Direct in June due to ongoing global issues and the company being forced to push its schedule back.
While it was not stated that the ARMS fighter was planned be revealed as part of the June Direct itself, in the past, Smash Bros presentations have immediately followed Directs, as seen in the case of Banjo-Kazooie back on September 4, 2019.
However, it’s also possible that the reveal will still go ahead as planned and include the presentation with series creator Masahiro Sakurai sans Direct.
As Sakurai revealed in January with the Byleth presentation, the video was prerecorded back in November, three months before it would see the light of day.
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Byleth’s presentation was both a character reveal and a showcase, as the developer showed off the Fire Emblem fighter’s moveset and costumes, so the ARMS announcement could have been planned to be similar in format.
It’s unclear what the extent of the ARMS fighter reveal will be, or if it’s been delayed alongside the direct. The character currently remains scheduled for a June release.
As Dexerto previously reported, in a Famitsu column, Sakurai delved into how the development was proceeding despite members of the team working from home.
“For the time being, we are proceeding without any problems, so far,” he wrote, according to a translation provided by Robert Sephazon.
Of course, it will be Nintendo’s decision for how they wish to proceed and if any future DLC is ultimately delayed.
