Which 3rd party Smash Ultimate characters do you think will not stay for future games?

[Ultraviolence]

I really think Cloud and Hero probably won't be sticking around for future Smash games. I also think Joker is a one time thing for sure and hopefully Banjo, Terry, and the Capcom reps stay for future Smash games. I've been having a blas with Terry and it seems like SNK is more than willing to collaborate with Nintendo on Smash.

Of course, maybe all of them will stay! That would be ideal but it seems unlikely for me. What about you? What characters do you think will stay?

 

[JohnMichonski]

Cloud will most likely not return considering how hard it was to bring him back for Ultimate. I could see Konami wanting Snake out of there, also.

 

[Platy]

yeah the square stuff is dead, jim

Banjo too, sadly.

Capcom, sega and snk are ok

 

[brinstar]

I'm not expecting any of them to stay except like, Sonic

 

[Clov]

I think the only ones that are actually at risk are Cloud and Hero, since SE seems like a huge pain to work with.

 

[Porygon]

I think only Sonic and Ryu may come back

 

[Dark Cloud]

Majority will be gone. Nintendo isn't going to keep paying third party companies for all these characters. Time to go back to ground zero and add a lot of new first party characters with a handful of third party.

 

[LegendofLex]

I can see Sonic, PAC-MAN, Mega Man, and Bayonetta staying.

the rest are probably one-time only

 

[CommodoreKong]

My gut feeling is the next Smash wont try to top Ultimate and a lot of first and third party characters will be cut in favor of new characters.

 

[NotLiquid]

Sonic, Mega Man, Ryu/Ken, Terry are easy locks

Snake, Cloud, Belmonts, Joker and Hero stand a good chance getting cut

Pac-Man, Banjo, Bayonetta depends (former whether Bamco are still developing the game, second if Nintendo and Microsoft will still be buddy-buddy, latter if Nintendo are still the franchise's adoptive parents)

 

[EVA UNIT 01]

Like all of them

 

[PtM]

What future games? Look up "ultimate".

 

[Platy]

I am pretty sure the next KOF will have sakurai copyright in the credits because SNK just gave terry to him

 

[Lord Vatek]

All except Bayo (she's basically a Nintendo character at this point), Sonic, and maybe Mega Man.

 

[Vibed]

All but Sonic. Most of the first party characters too because I expect a new game to take things in a new direction with a lot of cuts

 

[RockmanBN]

Almost all of them

 

[akilshohen]

I echo Snake, Cloud and Hero... Maybe Joker. For the rest it's free publicity and I don't see MS messing up free promotion for Banjo.

 

[Ultraviolence]

My gut feeling is the next Smash wont try to top Ultimate and a lot of first and third party characters will be cut in favor of new characters.

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I also think the next Smash will be a refresh but some characters like Terry and Bayo are so fun that I really do hope they stay.

 

[¡ B 0 0 P !]

Everyone but Sonic, Megaman, Pac-Man and maybe Simon, Ryu and Banjo are at risk of getting cut.

 

[PillFencer]

They'll stay, all of them, as long as Smash 6 isn't like a reboot with "only" 30 characters or something

 

[Neoxon]

Remember, Sega owns Atlus. So if Sonic & Bayonetta return, Joker should also be safe.

With that said, the following should be in the clear going forward.

• Capcom Co. Ltd./Capcom USA
  • Mega Man
  • Ryu
  • Ken
• Sega/Atlus
  • Sonic
  • Bayonetta
  • Joker
• SNK
  • Terry

Konami & Bandai Namco are probably safe, but not 100% (though if Bamco remains the developer of Smash, they'll join the sure-thing category). Microsoft is 50/50 depending on how things go for their relationship with Nintendo in the long-term. The only company with a good chance of pulling out would be Square-Enix.

 

[Linde]

i wouldn't even care if cloud is cut
that music list is shameful. SE doesnt deserve its name on the credits

 

[JJConrad]

The next game will be a series reboot and all 3rd party characters will be cut.

 

[Neoxon]

What future games? Look up "ultimate".

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I highly doubt that Nintendo will stop making Smash games. That'd be like them not making anymore Mario games.

Also, Smash Ultimate is called Smash Special in Japan, so your argument doesn't hold that much weight.

 

[PillFencer]

The next game will be a series reboot and all 3rd party characters will be cut.

Click to shrink...

They'll never cut Sonic

 

[Sub Boss]

If they managed to bring SNAKE back, then everybody is going to return for Ultimatum

 

[Jawmuncher]

If Snake goes, Castlevania & Bomberman will be going with him.

 

[Pimienta]

SNK is more than willing to lend Terry, so I think he's safe. Joker, Cloud, Banjo and Hero are the ones I see going away.

 

[fiendcode]

I'm expecting the next Smash to be a a bit of a reset. Might not be any 3rd party characters.

 

[DanarchyReigns]

Sega, Capcom and SNK will be the most likely to stay.
Bandai Namco will probably stick around if they're developing the next one. Though I'm surprised there isn't more NB reps like Tales or Tekken.
Konami is the maybe pile.
Same with Microsoft.
Square-Enix is a big fat no. Especially with the strict rules they're enforcing on Cloud and Hero

Personally, a future Smash game should focus less on third-parties and more on updating the existing characters. Give Mario a new moveset that reflects the games after Sunshine. Add some deep cut first-party picks.

 

[Sawyer]

We're getting like 20 characters in the next Smash and it will be heavily retooled.
There's nowhere to go after Ultimate but change direction.

 

[Deleted member 401]

The Square Enix characters seem like the only ones who have any serious legal hurdles in their way. Pretty much anyone else could be a series mainstay, at least in theory.

 

[Spacejaws]

I feel like Snake will stay, because Konami don't have to do any work and it keeps the character relevant. Think he will get dropped if they ask for too much money which ok sounds like something Konami would do.

I feel Cloud might be the biggest risk. With the FF7 remake stuff on the horizon Square probably gonna get protective over him.

 

[JJConrad]

They'll never cut Sonic

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You're right. But Sonic will be the first movie trailer design.

 

[Yoshimitsu126]

Only Pikachu, Charizard, and Lucario are staying.

 

[Gold Arsene]

If Sakurai stays, Joker stays.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Only Pikachu, Charizard, and Lucario are staying.

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The real third party characters that truly matter.

 

[mopinks]

I wish I could believe Snake and Simon were safe

 

[Ultraviolence]

Only Pikachu, Charizard, and Lucario are staying.

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Only Mewtwo should stay

nuke Incineroar btw

 

[Doskoi Panda]

Basically all of them.

I think that Sonic and Mega-Man are basically the only shoe-ins for a return. Maybe Pac-Man and Ryu as well. Wouldn't be surprised to hear that the next Smash game focuses exclusively on an extended roster of Nintendo-centric characters, all things considered.

 

[Neoxon]

If Sakurai stays, Joker stays.

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Honestly, I'd be okay with Sakurai handing the reigns of Smash to a younger team after Ultimate. But given his work ethic, I doubt that Sakurai would be able to let the series go.

With that said, Sega has had perfect third party attendance since Brawl. So Joker, alongside Sonic & Bayonetta, should be safe going forward.

Basically all of them.

I think that Pac-Man and Mega-Man are basically the only shoe-ins for a return. Wouldn't be surprised to hear that the next Smash game focuses exclusively on an extended roster of Nintendo-centric characters, all things considered.

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No Sonic?

 

[Uncle at Nintendo]

Most likely will stay

Capcom Guys
Terry
Sonic

50/50

Bayonetta
Joker
Pac Man
Banjo

Probably gone

Squeenix
Konami

Capcom licenses their character for dirt cheap, same with SNK and Terry. I can't see them cutting sonic ever.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Hopefully Sakurai retires from Smash after Ultimate. Let someone else takeover and do whatever they want with the series giving it a new direction. Sakurai reached his apex and his legacy is set.

 

[Doskoi Panda]

We're getting like 20 characters in the next Smash and it will be heavily retooled.
There's nowhere to go after Ultimate but change direction.

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I'm expecting fewer characters than we got in Ultimate + DLC but I think Nintendo will shore up the numbers by introducing characters from lesser-known or more niche Nintendo franchises, as well as characters who are adjacent to bigger Nintendo characters but wouldn't get into Ultimate. Sort of like the Melee and Brawl approach.

Characters like Rex, E. Gadd, Captain Toad, Saki, Takamaru, Captain Rainbow, Mach Rider, King Hippo, Black Shadow, that sort of thing. Ultimate is a celebration of a certain slice of gaming history, but if Nintendo can't replicate that sort of ambition, then I think the sequel will be more like an out-and-out celebration of Nintendo's own extensive history.

 

[Mekanos]

Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man are all safe, I fully believe.

The rest depend on roster space and what companies are on good terms with Nintendo at the time.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Nana and Popo are getting cut and will be replace by The Stretchers

 

[Deleted member 3815]

Honestly, not even the first party roster are safe as there is no way that all of them are coming back, barring the staples.

But I can see the Sega characters staying, especially Sonic.

 

[JusDoIt]

All except Terry.

 

[Discontent]

How do you even make a successor to Ultimate? Roster wise it just seems impossible to match again.

 

[Dark Cloud]

How do you even make a successor to Ultimate? Roster wise it just seems impossible to match again.

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That's why the focus isn't the size of roster. It's retooling the Nintendo characters and updating their moves will adding new Nintendo characters.