Here’s exactly when you can play Sora in Smash Ultimate
May your heart be your guiding key.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate version 13.0 is expected to go live very soon, introducing the game’s final fighter to the fray. In what might be the game’s last major patch, owners of the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 will be able to unlock Sora from Kingdom Hearts as the final DLC fighter. Below, we detail the time update 13.0 is expected to be available and offer a brief rundown of what to expect to see once it’s installed.
What time will Sora release in Smash Ultimate?
Even though Nintendo has yet to offer a precise release time for Sora outside of the aforementioned October 18 release date, patterns established by previous Smash DLC releases offer a fairly precise indication of when Sora will make his grand debut. For reference, here’s a recap of the release times for all characters in the original Fighters Pass and Fighters Pass Vol. 2.
Sora comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on October 18. Learn more about the character’s release time below.
- Joker: 9 p.m. Eastern
- Hero: 9 p.m. Eastern
- Banjo-Kazooie: 9 p.m. Eastern
- Terry Bogard: 9 a.m. Eastern
- Byleth: 9 p.m. Eastern
- Min Min: 9:15 p.m. Eastern
- Minecraft Steve: 9:15 p.m. Eastern
- Sephiroth: 9 p.m. Eastern
- Pyra/Mythra: 9 p.m. Eastern
- Kazuya: 9 p.m. Eastern
The one outlier is Terry, of course, who was released immediately after his Sakurai Presents livestream concluded. Since we’ve already seen the full presentation on Sora, it’s likely he’ll be released around 9 p.m. Eastern on October 18, 2021. The precise release time could be 15 minutes before or after that hour depending on differences in how the 13.0 patch deploys globally, but our details should still offer you a solid estimate as to when you should have your Switch at the ready.
What to expect from the Smash Ultimate 13.0 update
Alongside Sora, Smash Ultimate will also get a substantial version 13.0 update which promises to include a wide array of balance changes, mostly designed to nerf characters that have become too powerful. There’s been lots of outcry from the community to nerf the likes of Min Min, Minecraft Steve, ROB, and Pikachu, but we still don’t know if or how Nintendo will address those concerns. For now, those are some fighters worth paying attention to.
The only confirmed additions we do have for update 13.0 relate to Sora and his accompanying DLC.
Sora’s stage is called Rising Falls, and it has a very Final Destination feel to it.
- Sora: This is obviously the biggest draw of update 13.0 and is likely the reason you’re here. As documented in our Sora Codex page, the character is based on his original Kingdom Hearts moveset and is meant to be a fighter that both beginners and experts can master. His strength is in three-hit combos, magic, and aerials. Because he’s so light, he’s also very easy to launch. He can be purchased as a $5.99 standalone character or with Fighters Pass Vol. 2.
- Rising Falls: Sora’s stage is a simple arena set to the background of Hollow Bastion. Towards the end of the fight, the aesthetics of the stage transform to a Dive to the Heart Design featuring characters like Sora, Riku, Roxas, or Aqua.
- Music: Sora’s debut means up to 10 tracks from Kingdom Hearts can be added to the game: “Night of Fate,” “Destiny’s Force,” “Shrouding Dark Cloud,” “Hand in Hand,” “Blast Away - Gummi Ship II,” “Hollow Bastion,” “Scherzo Di Notte,” “Fragments of Sorrow,” “Destati,” and “Dearly Beloved (Swing Version).” “Dearly Beloved” is only available to those who have save data for Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory on their Switch.
- New Spirits: Kairi, Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Riku, Xion, Axel, and Roxas will be added to the Spirit Board for those still hoping to collect each one.
- Mii Fighter Costumes #11: Update 13.0 also features the debut of Octoling (Wig), Judd (Hat), and Doom Slayer (Gunner) for $0.75 each.
Sora and the version 13.0 update come to Smash Ultimate on October 18, 2021.
