Nintendo surprised fans by announcing a new Nintendo Direct for tomorrow, February 17th. Nintendo uses these digital showcases to announce new games, release information about already announced games, and highlight new DLC. The event will could possibly feature info about Breath of the Wild 2 and other upcoming titles, but many fans will be anticipating the announcement of the next DLC fighter for the popular fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The Nintendo Direct announced for tomorrow is the first full-length presentation since late 2019, and is planned to run just shy of an hour long. Fans are hoping for info about upcoming Nintendo games, and the announcement of new titles. Thus far, the only confirmed info is the presence of the epic crossover fighting game, and details on games releasing in the first half of 2021. Many fans are already expecting a new DLC fighter to be announced for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and with good reason. Nintendo has used the Direct presentations to announce the other characters added from previous Fighter Packs, and the timing is right after it's been a couple of months since Sephiroth was released.
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Fans are expecting a lot from the first Nintendo Direct of the year, and new Smash Bros. announcements always draw excitement. The franchise is still wildly popular and speculation about upcoming DLC fighters is always a common topic across message boards, and an announcement of a new character seems likely given the length of the upcoming Nintendo Direct, as well as the confirmation of SSBU's presence. Nintendo has done a good job of inserting Smash Bros. announcements into much shorter showcases in the past, so many fans are expecting the reveal of what character will be receiving the coveted invitation to Smash.
Speculating about who the next fighter will be in Smash Ultimate is nearly impossible. The roster of Smash Ultimate includes a dizzying array of characters from different franchises both owned by Nintendo and other publishers. With characters like Persona's Joker, Final Fantasy's Cloud, Metal Gear's Solid Snake, and Castlevania's Simon, anyone could basically be next. Some are predicting or hoping for Dr. Robotnik to make an appearance in Smash, and this is one of the less crazy ideas floating around. His nemesis Sonic has been a member of Super Smash Bros. since the days of Brawl, and is one of the few characters to not be joined by other members of their franchise.
More speculative guesses about the next DLC fighter for Smash include characters like Dante from the Devil May Cry series and the titular Doomguy from the Doom series. Doomguy, in particular, has been a common guess in the lineup with some leakers that have been accurate in predictions before have suggested his inclusion. Again, almost any character seems possible and a franchise's presence on Nintendo consoles is not always the best indicator as to whether they will end up in Smash Ultimate. Characters like Cloud and Sephiroth are featured in the very popular Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but it's unlikely that the game will make its way to the Switch anytime soon.
Theories about the next Super Smash Bros. character run a wide gamut, and some have already nixed the ideas that Doomguy or Master Chief from Halo will make the cut. Many fans are expecting another Nintendo representative in lieu of crossover characters like Sephiroth or Minecraft's Steve. The mere presence of those two characters in the same game, however, points towards nearly anything being possible for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The next Nintendo Direct begins at 2pm PT tomorrow, Feb. 17th, 2021.