As gamers await news on who the next two DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros Ultimate might be, one popular choice from the fandom in the form of Ninja Gaiden‘s Ryu Hayabusa may have just been dismissed. In truth, Smash Bros Ultimate has become a major source of excitement for Nintendo fans since it arrived in December 2018. Every few months has brought with it a new DLC combatant reveal and a corresponding wave of hype that follows.
With a focus on making gaming franchises collide, Smash Bros Ultimate has seen some truly wild additions to its roster – ranging from first-party favorites like King K Rool to Xbox-owned mascots like Banjo & Kazooie. There doesn’t appear to be a character off-limits for Nintendo, but with only two confirmed characters remaining as part of Smash Ultimate‘s DLC, expectations and hopes are beginning to ride thin on just how many more fighters will join the fray.
One of the major expectations for DLC from Smash fans is Ninja Gaiden‘s Ryu Hayabusa, but according to Team Ninja lead Fumihiko Yasuda he may not be in the cards. During a recent interview between Yasuda and the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu (archived by Ryokutya2089 and translated via NintendoEnthusiast), the subject of Hayabusa joining Super Smash Bros was brought up. According to the lead behind Ninja Gaiden studio Team Ninja, “We’re waiting for the invitation letter.“
Smash Bros aficionados will recognize the reference to an “invitation letter” as one of the tangible marketing tactics behind the series, as characters receive (or steal/fight over) an invitation to the game in a number of reveal trailers. The most recent example of this came in the form of Smash Bros Ultimate DLC newcomer Pyra/Mythra, who were invited to join the fray. So, while the reference is cheeky on Yasuada’s part, it’s also odd that he’d touched on the subject at all if Ryu Hayabusa were really in the cards for Smash Bros Ultimate‘s Fighters Pass Vol 2.
Of course, that doesn’t mean with certainty that Ninja Gaiden protagonist Ryu Hayabusa won’t join. Prior to Banjo & Kazooie being added, franchise composer Grant Kirkhope told fans to not get their hopes up over the characters’ inclusion in Super Smash Bros – and everyone now knows how that turned out. Of course, the response from Yasuda is a stark contrast to the fishy “no comment” response from Donald Mustard (Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games) about the possibility of Fortnite crossing over with Smash Bros Ultimate.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate is currently available only on Nintendo Switch. Two more DLC characters are scheduled to arrive as part of Fighters Pass Vol. 2 by December 2021.
