Why Rex couldn’t join Smash Ultimate as DLC and what it means for future fighters
The Rex Conundrum
The development team behind Super Smash Bros. Ultimate faced significant technical hurdles when attempting to implement Xenoblade Chronicles 2 protagonist Rex as DLC. Director Masahiro Sakurai originally envisioned Rex fighting alongside Pyra in a dual-character format similar to the Ice Climbers from Melee.
During testing, the developers discovered that Rex and Pyra’s distinct character models and move sets created processing load issues that exceeded the game’s technical thresholds. Unlike the Ice Climbers’ identical design which shares animations and hitboxes, Rex and Pyra would have required essentially running two full fighters simultaneously.
This technical limitation explains the humorous treatment of Rex’s exclusion in official reveals, where he’s comically left behind while Pyra and Mythra join the battle. The development team exhaustively explored solutions before concluding the concept was fundamentally unworkable within Ultimate’s framework.
Pyra and Mythra Solution
The pivot to Pyra and Mythra as transforming fighters rather than separate entities proved to be an elegant solution. Their shared character model with different move sets allowed the team to implement the Xenoblade representation fans wanted while staying within technical limits.
Competitive players quickly recognized the strategic depth of their transforming mechanic. Top competitors like Mew2King praised their versatility, noting how their ability to switch between Pyra’s power and Mythra’s speed creates unique matchup opportunities.
This development approach also maintained visual fidelity with their Xenoblade Chronicles 2 appearances, satisfying fans who wanted authentic representations of these popular characters. The transformation mechanic became a standout feature rather than a compromise.
Future Implications
Sakurai’s revelations suggest that future Smash Ultimate DLC will avoid similarly complex character pairings unless they follow the Ice Climbers’ identical-character model. This technical reality may influence fan expectations for remaining Fighter’s Pass inclusions.
Looking beyond Ultimate, next-generation hardware could open new possibilities. More powerful consoles might handle the processing demands of dissimilar character pairs, potentially allowing concepts like Rex and Pyra in future installments. This situation mirrors how technical limitations shaped previous Smash games before being overcome in sequels.
For now, players can appreciate the creative solutions the team implemented within current constraints while speculating about what future hardware might enable for the franchise.
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