By logging into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, players will be greeted by a prompt about the next Spirit Board event that’s taking place. As it turns out, this will be the final batch of Spirits added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and will likely be the last time the game sees any new content.
Upon inspecting the prompt for more details, it’s revealed that the Spirits will be based on Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Princess Peach: Showtime! “New spirits from Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Princess Peach: Showtime! make their way onto the Spirit Board in this event,” says the notification.
This event will be taking place from March 22, 2024 and last until March 27, 2024. The Spirits that can be acquired during this period are the Peace & Stella, Swordfighter Peach, Elephant Mario, and Wonder Flower & Talking Flower Spirits.
As mentioned before, this is the fourth out of four Spirit Board events that is being released to celebrate Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s fifth anniversary. The previous batch of Spirits featured representation from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Splatoon 3, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Pikmin 4, MLB Power Pros, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Hades, Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Violet, and The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder was released on October 20, 2023. Meanwhile, Princess Peach: Showtime! is scheduled to be released on March 22, 2024, the same day as this fourth batch of anniversary Spirits.
Considering that Masahiro Sakurai recently noted that he is still creating games for the time being and that Bandai Namco’s Studio 2/S was formed from the people that developed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there’s reason to believe that development for the next entry in the Super Smash Bros. series has already begun.
Though we haven’t had an announcement for the Switch 2, rumors suggest that Nintendo recently made the decision to delay the mysterious console’s release until 2025. For better or worse, it’ll likely be a while before the next Super Smash Bros. entry is announced, assuming it’s now being worked on.
Regardless, this does seem like a fitting send of for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, though it would’ve been nice if there was one last balance patch. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s in store for the future of the Super Smash Bros. franchise.