Smash Ultimate fans have expressed their disappointment after Fire Emblem character Byleth was added to the game, with ‘HOES MAD’ inexplicably trending on Twitter in relation to the announcement.
Prior to today’s Smash Direct, players had made some hopeful guesses as to who the game’s new DLC character could be. These included Devil May Cry‘s Dante and Doom protagonist Doomguy. As a result, some were underwhelmed by the reveal of Byleth. However, on the flipside of the coin, a contingent of Smash Bros fans retaliated against the disappointment by firing back at critics with ‘HOES MAD,’ resulting in the phrase trending in the US.
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This phrase has been used by Smash Ultimate fans en masse to respond to other fans who disapprove of Byleth being added to the game. Soon after the Smash Direct had concluded, it was the seventh top trend on Twitter, beneath Byleth, #SmashDirect, and Dante:
Smash Ultimate fans were quick to either support or admonish the trend, which has increasingly been used among its community ever since the divisive reaction to Dragon Quest‘s Hero being added to the game:
And thus, the #SmashBros Ultimate Hoes Mad DLC Pack#1 is Complete!#SmashDirect pic.twitter.com/1TVToS8h6n
— Myles ❄️ (@Myles523) January 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/igsaladsnake/status/1217812779408728066
The Smash community was largely in agreement that Byleth wasn’t a particularly exciting reveal, given that previous Fighters Pass heroes have included Persona 5‘s Joker and Fatal Fury‘s Terry. Many were expecting another non-Nintendo character as a result, so even though Fire Emblem certainly has a large fanbase, Byleth isn’t quite as interesting as a character from a third-party studio.
Me in a room full of people who wanted another Fire Emblem charecter in Smash #SmashDirect pic.twitter.com/ujucF2Are7
— IGotSilver (@IGotSilver) January 16, 2020
Current mood. #SmashDirect pic.twitter.com/ITaSGZCWUH
— Ruby Anne Seals, @codexentry.bsky.social (@CodexEntry) January 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/StarlightKidZ/status/1217810780785139712
I'm glad Sakurai is explaining the Fire Emblem series to Smash players, a franchise they are not familiar with #SmashDirect pic.twitter.com/JC6vpF8ia3
— Jeff Ramos (@ohjefframos) January 16, 2020
Byleth is the fifth and final character to be added as part of Smash Ultimate‘s Fighter Pass, though more DLC characters will be available in the future. Byleth’s DLC will also add Fire Emblem‘s Garreg Mach Monastery as a new playable stage.
