“Leaked” Smash Ultimate fighter screen shows Tails as DLC – is it real?

A new leaked video showing off Sonic the Hedgehog’s Tails as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been making the rounds online, with some wondering if the short clip is real or fake.

In the short, seven-second video, a user loads up Smash Ultimate’s Training Mode and hovers over DLC fighters Terry Bogard and Byleth before eventually selecting Tails as their character.

Just before Tails is selected, however, a hand blocks the television screen, preventing the brief animation from being shown – a suspicious interaction that casts some doubt on the clip’s authenticity.

However, as Tails is selected the Smash announcer’s voice can be heard shouting “Tails” as it does whenever a fighter is picked in the game.

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The Tails selection also includes the Sonic logo in the background, which matches how other characters are presented on the fighter roster screen.

Noticeably absent, however, is the ARMS fighter, who is still scheduled to be released in June as the first character as part of Fighters Pass Volume 2.

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Even if Tails is a future fighter It’s unclear why a version of the game with a yet-to-be-announced character wouldn’t include the ARMS DLC as well, which casts doubt on the leak being legitimate.

“A friend of mine on discord received this link from his friend, apparently he’s been sending it to a few people they know,” an anonymous user posted on 4chan. “Could it be a Smash leak?”

While many Smash fans want another Sonic representative given the Sega franchise’s importance to gaming, this sadly seems to be a fan-made “leak” and not something to put that much stock into.

All that’s known for sure about the next DLC fighter is that they will be from ARMS, and is rumored to be Spring Man who will graduate from Assist Trophy to a full-fledged fighter.

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A possible theory being thrown around is that the ARMS fighter reveal will be on June 16 to celebrate three years since the game was released on Switch.

It’s unclear if the seventh DLC fighter will be revealed during the announcement, but so far rumors and “leaks” have suggested that it could be Dante from Devil May Cry, Crash Bandicoot or even a League of Legends Champion.