The Switch 2 has now been available for around two months, and the latest sales figures show that it has sold around six million units. In comparison with other consoles’ launch windows, those aren’t bad sales figures. However, even the Dreamcast and GameCube sold well at launch. It will be in the long run that the Switch 2 will be properly tested. Every Nintendo console needs those core games that include Mario Kart, Zelda, Mario, and Smash Bros. The last Smash Bros game, Smash Ultimate, released in 2018 and broke the sales record for best-selling Smash Bros game. The figures currently stand at over 36 million copies sold for Smash Bros Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. We haven’t had any announcements relating to a new Smash game for the Switch 2. Sakurai is allegedly taking a break from Smash Bros development (although he said this after many past Smash Bros games had been released). What can we expect for Smash Bros on Switch 2, if it ever does release for the system? Read on for an analysis of what is most likely for Smash on Switch 2.
The Ultimate platform fighter
The Smash Bros series began on the N64 in 1999, and basically defined the platform fighter. These games have characters causing damage to each other with the goal of sending your opponent flying off the stage. The higher the opponent’s damage, the more easily they can be thrown off the stage. A good analogy of the genre is, if Street Fighter is a boxing match, then Smash Bros is a sumo wrestling match. The same principles apply.
With the latest Smash game, the series creator, Masahiro Sakurai, had tried to make the biggest and best Smash Bros game ever released. The game has the largest number of fighters ever in a Smash game. The base game has 74 fighters and 89 when including DLC characters. Eleven of these fighters are completely new characters, and many series are represented, including non-Nintendo game series. Furthermore, the gameplay in Ultimate is refined, and is fast, much faster than in the often criticized Smash Bros Brawl, and more similar to the well-loved, Smash Bros Melee.
Increase the roster or streamline the experience
So, if Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the best Smash Bros experience, where does the series go from here? Can a new game for Switch 2 improve on the near-perfection of Smash Ultimate? Sakurai is probably working on a secret new game. It could be Smash Bros or it might not be. Whether a new company, such as Capcom, could develop a Smash game is a possibility. Bandai Namco has helped with Smash games in the past, and Capcom is known for making the Street Fighter series. But then, will this hypothetical new game be a Deluxe version, in the vein of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, or will it be a complete reboot? I think each option is likely, but I side more on the view that the next title will be a reboot. Nintendo is constantly releasing HD versions and remakes, so a fresh take on the series would bring some much-needed creative opportunities in which the talented developers at Nintendo could try new ideas.
The future
How could Nintendo create a fresh experience? One option, would be to cut the roster to around ten characters, and re-balance the gameplay. There could be a new (actually worthwhile) adventure mode, and possibly the return of trophies. The Smash Bros experience has been like a Nintendo museum since Melee, and the return of trophies (with text), would go a long way to creating a museum-like experience. The more characters a developer adds in a fighting game, the harder it is to balance the gameplay. If a new Smash game went with a novel, consistent art style, and limited the number of fighters, we could have a very good game on the visual and technical level. Imagine a platform fighter that was a polished and balanced as some of the best 2D fighters. We would sacrifice obscure characters for better gameplay. We currently have no word on when a new Smash game will hit Switch 2. Maybe we could get an announcement, even if it is just a teaser, in 2026.
The other possibility is that the new Smash game goes even bigger than Ultimate. There are still loads of big series on non-Nintendo platforms that could appear in a new Smash game. Currently, the series has added Cloud, Mega-Man, Ryu and more from third party or rival publishers in Smash Ultimate. If the new game is to be a Smash Ultimate Deluxe style game, then indeed expect many more new fighters. However, I don’t see Nintendo continuing to add new characters forever. At some point there must be an end and a reboot to the series. The Switch 2 is in its early days, but a new Smash Bros announcement would be sure to stir up excitement and minimize the chances that the new system will fail, or be out-competed by rivals.
Conclusion
The Smash Bros series is one of the best selling Nintendo properties and is the king of the platform fighter. The gameplay philosophy of Smash has its origins in the combat sport of Sumo. It is a fighting game franchise that embraces chaos. With Smash Bros Ultimate on the Switch selling over 36 million copies, the franchise has never been in a stronger position. The Switch 2 has just released.
Will an announcement of a new Smash Bros game come soon? We don’t know when a new game will be announced but as the series is a key Nintendo property, the chances are high that the Switch 2 will have a Smash Bros game release. The fact that ultimate has close to 100 characters means that the next entry could be a reboot that cuts the number of fighters and tries to rebalance the gameplay. Either that, or the developers lean in to the party game aspects of the series and include even more characters. I think the former option is more likely. Only time will tell what the next Smash Bros game will be like.
