By Dexerto | Created at 2026-09-07 15:07:03 | Updated at 2026-09-18 20:39:33
1 week ago
A brand-new Super Smash Bros game is reportedly in development, with a Nintendo leaker claiming it won’t simply be a port or Deluxe version of Smash Ultimate.
The claim comes from YouTube user Malo932, who has gained attention after correctly revealing several of Nintendo’s plans ahead of their official announcements, including 2026’s Star Fox.
Details on the rumored game are scarce, but if Nintendo really is making another installment, it could feature a smaller roster, considering series creator Masahiro Sakurai has spoken in the past about the difficulty of continuously adding new characters.
And that’s if Sakurai is in charge of a new entry, if one is even in development.
Leaker claims new Smash Bros is in development
Malo made the claim in the replies to a Nintendo Forecast video that appears to have since been deleted, though they’ve since started circulating online. In one of these replies, Malo stated that a new Smash Bros game that wasn’t a re-release or port of Ultimate was in the works.
The comment was highlighted by Centro Leaks alongside several other claims, including new Nintendogs, Wario Land, and 3D Mario games.
More Nintendo leaks from the same source (Malo932) that correctly predicted pretty much all Nintendo announcements this year:
– A brand new Smash Bros game is in development, not a port of Ultimate
– Nintendogs is coming back
– Mario Kart World DLC coming in 2027 featuring Fox… pic.twitter.com/daFRBOv16m
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) September 6, 2026
While Malo is relatively unknown compared to established Nintendo insiders, their recent track record has attracted attention. The leaker correctly predicted Nintendo would announce two Direct presentations in September 2026, days before they were confirmed, while VGC notes several previous claims were posted six days before Nate the Hate shared similar information.
Previously, reputable insider KiwiTalkz claimed a Smash game could arrive as early as 2027, though it was unclear if he meant a completely new game or a re-release of 64 or Melee.
Nintendo hasn’t announced another Smash Bros game, so the latest claim remains firmly a rumor. However, the suggestion that it’s a completely new entry rather than another version of Ultimate raises an obvious question about its roster.
Ultimate eventually grew to 89 playable fighters, including DLC, bringing back every character from previous games. Sakurai has previously acknowledged that replicating that scale would be difficult, saying in 2021 that another game would mean “we would have to shrink the roster.”
