Nintendo Direct leak may reveal 'Smash Ultimate' DLC fighter 5 and more
January is shaping up to be a massive month for Nintendo fans, if these rumors prove true.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just won Best Fighting Game at the 2019 Game Awards and Nintendo might kick off the new decade with the announcement of the game’s next DLC fighter and a bunch of new Switch titles.
An alleged 4chan leak claims a Nintendo Direct is just around the corner, and an update to the eShop suggests Smash Bros. Ultimate will be a major part of the upcoming announcements. Challenger Pack 5 is now available for purchase in the store for $5.99, with a tentative release date of February 29.
Nintendo previously announced the fifth DLC fighter would launch by the end of February, but the fact that a placeholder is already in the eShop suggests the company is gearing up for an imminent Direct. But when could it take place?
A dubious post posted to 4chan on January 1 claimed Nintendo’s first 2020 Direct would take place the first week of the year, which clearly didn’t happen. It also mentioned that the new fighter would be Travis Touchdown from the No More Heroes franchise and that Nintendo would updated gamers on eleven upcoming and unannounced Switch titles, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and a Fire Emblem DLC.
Screenshot of the alleged 4chan Nintendo Direct leak.
Again, these predictions have already been proven partially inaccurate. But a January Direct is still plausible.
There’s an established pattern of Nintendo events in January
Nintendo hosted events in January 2017 and 2018, and with Challenger Pack 5 already in the wild, there’s a good chance 2020 won’t deviate from the pattern. The company has traditionally held these events in mid-to-late January, the 11th being the earliest and the 23rd.
Nintendo has a precedent for getting gamers hyped about what the new year has in store. Why wouldn’t it do that for Smash Bros. Ultimate, the best-selling fighting game of all time?
The portion of the 4chan leak that mentions the announcement of the fifth 'Smash Bros.' DLC character.
But when could the first 2020 Nintendo Direct take place?
The fourth DLC fighter, Terry Bogard from the Fatal Fury series, was announced roughly a month before his release. That means if February 29 is the latest the next character will be launched, expect a Direct no later than January 29.
It’s also possible Nintendo will opt for an earlier release so it can comfortably meet its self-imposed deadline without waiting until the very last day.
What other games might be announced?
Aside from the the next Smash Bros. Ultimate character, the 4chan post claimed Switch fans will get updates on five unreleased titles, two new bundles of DLC content, and four game ports.
Brand-new Mario Golf and Brain Age titles will be supposedly be announced. Plus, news about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a Switch version of Spongebob Square Pants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, and the Panzer Dragoon Remake are all allegedly making a showing as well.
The leak goes on the say that Fire Emblem Warriors will get a DLC pack with content based on the 2019 release of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. An update on cloud service Pokémon HOME is also expected. All of that might come alongside Switch ports of Shenmue I & II, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and Cruis’n Blast.
The leak is very specific, which leaves a lot of room for error. However, Nintendo is updating the Nintendo Switch firmware Monday. That could be a sign of a major changes and additions to come.
