Nintendo has today released a new update for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the first time this year. Following the arrival of Sora as the final DLC character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, developer Sora Ltd. and Nintendo have largely moved on from supporting the game. This has resulted in new patches being very few and far between since 2021, despite many fans requesting that Nintendo improve the newest Super Smash Bros. game for Switch 2 platforms. And while such an upgrade for Switch 2 could eventually come to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, that’s not what today’s update has done.
Downloadable now, update version 13.0.5 for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a very small one in nature. Rather than make any gameplay changes or overhauls to the title, Nintendo has merely “fixed behavior that occurs when invalid data is sent or received in online battles.” While this should make the online component of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate a bit better than before, this is essentially a maintenance patch and nothing else.
Looking back, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate hasn’t received any balance or gameplay adjustments since December 2021, which is when patch 13.0.1 rolled out. Because of this, it’s clear that Nintendo has no intent to alter the game any further, but this does raise questions about what it might do with the franchise next.
Perhaps the most obvious move that Nintendo could make with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be to upgrade the game for Switch 2 hardware. This would feasibly not only allow it to run better, but it would increase the game’s visual fidelity as well. And while Nintendo and Sora Ltd. have asserted that work on the game has been finished for quite some time, such an upgrade could come about alongside new DLC, which would make SSBU relevant once again.
Then again, the reason that Nintendo might be holding off on upgrading Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Switch 2 is because it has a new game in the pipeline for the console. Since Smash Bros. is one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises ever, it undoubtedly will want the series to continue in some capacity in the years to come. Although it would be difficult to see how Nintendo might look to improve on what was seen in Ultimate, it could favor releasing a wholly new installment rather than upgrading the game that came before.
If a new Super Smash Bros. game is in development, there’s a chance that we could hear about it sooner rather than later. Reports suggest that Nintendo will be holding its next Direct of 2026 next week, which will surely feature plenty of new surprises. When and if that Direct does happen, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all of the biggest news from the broadcast here on ComicBook.
