There was a lots of of exciting updates about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the competitive scene. From top player signings and scene drama to a potential release date for the DLC character Piranha Plant, we’ve got the hottest news in the Smash world!
1. Tweek Signs With Team SoloMid
TSM made a big move when they announced on January 24th that they would be signing top player Tweek to their roster. This signing is a no-brainer; on top of ranking at #7 on the Panda Global Rankings 100 for Smash 4, he’s had an incredibly strong showing in Ultimate, winning several large tournaments with a plethora of different characters. With Genesis around the corner, TSM is locking down this talent at the perfect time.
2. Patch Incoming: Version 2.0.0 To Come In The Next Week
Players received a notice on January 25th that a patch would be hitting Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the next seven days. We can expect some serious balance changes, but the big question is if Piranha Plant, the first DLC character, will be included in the patch. Plant was confirmed to be released at some point in February, which is within the time window of this patch. Regardless, the character files will almost certainly be included in the game in this patch, meaning we’re one step closer to #PlantGang.
3. Genesis 6, The First Ultimate Supermajor, To Use Patch 1.2.1
Despite the aforementioned patch that is due to drop in the next few days, Genesis 6, the first Super Smash Bros. Ultimate supermajor that will go down February 1-3, will be using the current patch, 1.2.1. This is pretty common amongst competitive games; when there’s so little time to deal with gameplay changes, and even new character additions, it’s common to roll with an earlier patch for a major event and then make the change afterwards. This will be the last hurrah for this version of the game, so we’ll see who clutches it out!
4. Pierce7d Removed From TempoStorm After Sexual Harassment Claims
Longtime community member and Smash coach Pierce7d announced that he had parted ways with TempoStorm on Monday, January 21st. He had signed as the personal coach of ZeRo, who had recently returned to competitive play, but with ZeRo’s casual approach to tournaments and sparse attendance, it makes sense that having a full-time coach wasn’t necessary. Of course, this wasn’t the whole story.
Pierce’s announcement drew some hostile replies on Twitter, notably by Westballz, who called him a “creep.” Pierce’s replies in this thread caused several women to come forward and say that he had behaved inappropriately with them. This caused former teammates ZeRo and TriHex to both come out with statements condemning Pierce’s actions and asserting they no longer had anything to do with him. Following several questionable tweets by Pierce, the staff hosting Genesis came forward and made clear that he wouldn’t be attending the tournament.
While we’re not sure what the future holds for Pierce, we hope he does everything he can to right the wrongs and become a better person before trying to re-enter the community.