Latest Smash Ultimate patch buffed Ryu and Ken to top tier

Smash Ultimate’s Street Fighter reps have always been strong, but have had some issues with kill setups at certain percentages. The latest patch changes all that by offering several new setups thanks to one key change.

Patch 7.0.0 of Smash Ultimate offered one key change to Ryu and Ken that’s been making the rounds on Twitter and blowing people’s minds: the ability to cancel smash attack animations with specials.

This new ability allows them to perform combos one might see in a Street Fighter game, cancelling what would be “normals” into special attacks as combo finishers.

As an example, Ryu can now cancel his down smash into a hurricane kick, leading to a brutal fake-out that can be quite difficult to read, and not especially difficult to perform. This is because the input for hurricane kick involves a downward motion, letting you buffer it while the down smash is still happening.

• Read more: Five echo fighters or alternate costumes that belong in Smash

This leaves little in the way of reaction time for the opponent.

In another example, Ken or Ryu can now juggle up-smash into a Shoryuken, leading to an easy kill confirm. This was previously reserved for the less powerful up-tilt, but this change allowed for a more damaging combo.

Additionally, hurricane kick can now also pass through a multitude of projectiles, allowing it to be an effective approach tool. This is a feature ripped right out of Street Fighter, and a welcome addition.

Ryu was a late addition to Smash 4, one of the newcomer DLC that debuted after the game’s launch. Ken, on the other hand, was a launch Fighter in Smash.

• Read more: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate patch 7.0.0 notes

The pair have been mainstays of the Street Fighter series since its inception all the way back in 1987, making them among Smash Ultimate’s oldest representatives. Their movesets draw inspirations from across their tenure in gaming, but mostly from Street Fighter IV due to the inclusion of the Focus Attack.

Twitter has been divided on whether or not this will bring the pair to true top tierdom, but the inclusions do give them a lot more options in Smash Ultimate.