Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Gets Surprise Spirit and Event To Celebrate Street Fighter's 35th Anniversary

gamerant.com:

Near the end of last year, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate added its last DLC Fighter to its roster, Sora from the Kingdom Hearts franchise. This last character marked the end of full-time development for the game, where it is already boasting an impressive number of playable characters. However, it meant that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be no longer receiving any new Events, whether it be for new Spirits or tournaments.

Many fans expected the game to repeat older ones, with no new events or content to be made, especially with regard to Spirits. Spirits are Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's major collectible, representing characters from across gaming history that players could battle against in special tailor-made matches. Certain limited-time events, such as the spirits used to promote Metroid Dread, were permanently added to the game. In a surprising twist however, the developers are hosting a brand-new spirit event not only to celebrate Street Fighter's 35th Anniversary, but will be adding a new spirit as well.

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This event will make certain Spirits that originate from Street Fighter appear on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Spirit Board for a limited time. This allows players to challenge these Spirits to add them to their collection, if they don't already have them, which represents iconic characters from the franchise such as Chun-Li, Blanka, Cammy, and Akuma. However, the biggest new addition through this event will be a new Spirit based on Evil Ryu.

This is an incarnation of Ryu had he been consumed by the Satsui No Hado, a dark power used by Akuma, one of Street Fighter's most iconic antagonists. It's rather fitting that the Spirit is being hosted