Smash Ultimate players discover possible DLC fighter clue in patch 11.0.0

With the release of Pyra and Mythra in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, fans are already setting their sights on the final two DLC fighters and may have found a major hint at their identities in patch 11.0.0.

Fighters Pass Volume 2 has nearly concluded, with just two of the six additional playable fighters and stages remaining in Nintendo’s most ambitious crossover yet.

The beautiful thing about Smash Ultimate is it seems that no character is off-limits, as long as they originate from a video game franchise. As such, Ultimate, with its massive roster, has a plethora of options, often leading to a whirlwind of fan speculation, requests, and rumors.

Now, the latest theory for the identity of the next DLC fighter has to do with Dark Pit and a new glitch that has been discovered with his character model as of the most recent patch.

Glitch theory

Essentially, there is a visual glitch where an arrow gets stuck in Dark Pit’s body. Since the character didn’t have any work done on him in the most recent update, it seems weird that this would suddenly happen.

•  Read More: Smash Ultimate and its esports scene deserve a third Fighters Pass

It’s been speculated for a while that Smash Ultimate’s developers use existing fighters as placeholders when working on the next DLC. So, if this arrow glitch is related to a new fighter, who could it be?

Players believe this is a sign that the next fighter could be either Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden or Halo’s Master Chief.

Does the arrow point to Ryu Hayabusa in Smash Ultimate?

“Dark Pit was NOT worked on in patch 11.0 because if he was that would be the reason he’d be having this issue, but he has not been tampered with at all, this is interesting also Dark Pit and Ryu Hayabusa kinda have the dark thing going on just saying,” a user mentioned on the Smash Boards forums.

•  Read More: Ninja Gaiden director on Ryu Hayabusa as Smash DLC

In a picture, the gamer showcased Ryu’s lock-on bow and pondered if it could be a stand-in with Dark Pit’s model.

“That’s actually a good find. I don’t think the dark color means anything but the bow definitely feels similar,” another chimed in.

Another theory in regards to Ryu is that the arrow could be shuriken holsters. Users noted they seem to match up with the arrow in Dark Pit’s body.

•  Read More: Is Ryu coming to Smash Ultimate? Everything we know

Of course, Ryu has long been rumored as a DLC fighter, but so has the other character the arrow glitch could be connected to – Master Chief.

Fans speculate the glitch is tied to Master Chief

As suggested by popular Smash YouTuber PapaGenos, the arrow stuck in Dark Pit could be tied with another glitch where projectiles are not causing hitboxes to activate.

“Needler perhaps?” he wrote, referring to the Halo weapon. “Sticks the opponent full of projectiles and hurts them after getting so many in them.”

One concept to go along with this idea is that series creator Masahiro Sakurai could be implementing some sort of FPS-style headshot mechanic. The game director has been known to go the extra mile when adding new fighters, so this wouldn’t be too out of the norm.

•  Read More: Microsoft responds to the possibility of Master Chief in Smash

“I just want to say, while the glitch should be taken with a grain of salt, I feel like implementing headshots for an FPS character is just the perfect amount of extra effort that Sakurai would put into the concept. It’s so easy for me to imagine,” a Smash Boards user remarked.

“Headshots are pretty important to Halo’s gameplay too. I find it more important to consistently get them in Halo than in other games. So I feel a headshot mechanic would fit Chief very well,” added another.

As of this moment, it’s unclear when the next DLC will be revealed, but some have theorized that E3 2021 could be when Nintendo decides to pull the trigger. Until then, the speculation train continues full steam ahead, and we’ll have to see if this arrow glitch was pointing us in the right direction.