Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is getting another new update, with Nintendo dropping a new set of Spirits themed around some of the biggest games released on Nintendo Switch over the last two years.
After nearly two years without new content being added to Ultimate, the last two months have seen a small return to Spirit drops. Following December’s “SSB Ultimate Is Five Years Old!” event, the Spirit Board will get its next update on Jan. 11, featuring Spirits from four different Nintendo games released since July 2022.
In order of game release, the Nintendo titles getting Spirits in Smash Ultimate starting on Jan. 11 are Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Splatoon 3, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Pikmin 4. The promotional image for this shows characters like Noah and Mio from XC3, Rauru from TotK, and Splatoon 3’s Deep Cut band members.
Nintendo noted this release will be “for five days” starting on Jan. 11, but does not specify if that means new Spirits will be released every day from Jan. 11 to 15 or if they will only be available during that period. Either way, defeating the challenges based on each game’s characters will net you new Spirits for your collection. You will also get more gold than usual when clearing the Spirit Board.
Before this and the anniversary event, Nintendo discontinued new Spirit Board content in November 2021 alongside the end of Special Tournaments following the release of Sora and right before the game’s final update was released on Dec. 1, 2021. That content drought was briefly delayed with the “Street Fighter 35th Anniversary” Spirit Board event in January 2022 before extending through December 2023.
With this new content, amiibo restocks, and other Smash Bros.-related merchandise being released over the last several months, there are signs of life for Ultimate that potentially point to an updated version of the game coming down the line. That, or series creator Masahiro Sakurai could be returning for another ride at the helm of an entirely new game.
