An alleged Smash Bros Ultimate roster leak appears to include Banjo-Kazooie, Shadow the Hedgehog, and more unlikely characters. Though in no way confirmed, a Nintendo Switch banner for the game was seemingly shared on Snapchat, allegedly posted by an employee for a manufacturing company that works with Bandai Namco. With Bandai co-developing Smash Bros Ultimate alongside Sora Ltd., many believe this leak to be the real deal.
An image allegedly featuring final character art of the entire Smash Bros Ultimate roster was posted to Snapchat, with it promptly being screenshotted and shared online. The art contained unannounced newcomers Banjo-Kazooie, Isaac from Golden Sun, Mac Rider, Geno from Super Mario RPG, and Chorus Kids from Rhythm Heaven. It also features Echo fighters Ken from Street Fighter and Shadow the Hedgehog.
If true, these 7 newcomers would make a total of 77 characters, with these new characters also likely receiving their own stages, leading to 108 stages in total. The leak also contained blank artwork for the Battlefield stage, making it more credible.
The Snapchat images can be found below (via ResetEra):
A comparison of the image and the previously released Smash Bros Ultimate roster artwork was also included:
The individual who posted the Snapchat images was promptly tracked down on LinkedIn, though they have since deleted their account. Adding further credibility to the leak, promotional material for The Grinch can also be found in the clips. With the leaker reportedly located in France, and The Grinch set to release in French theaters on November 28, it’s believed that this promo material could have been included in the same batch as material for Smash Bros Ultimate, given their close proximity.
Here’s a close-up of The Grinch render shared on Snapchat:
If these are fakes, then the presence of The Grinch render suggests that the leaker has gone to great lengths to make them look official. The individual would have not only created the Smash Bros Ultimate artwork, but would have also created renders for The Grinch in order to make it appear official. Many Smash Bros fans are therefore certain that this is the real deal.
Smash Bros Ultimate will release on December 7, 2018, so it won’t be long before we come to learn of the game’s full roster. Until then, take the above images with a pinch of salt.
