Microsoft shocked the gaming world on January 18 by announcing they had purchased Activision-Blizzard for a whopping $70 billion. Now with so many franchises under their belt, fans want a Smash Ultimate clone on Xbox.
The reveal that Microsoft bought Activision-Blizzard has been one of the biggest stories of the year and we’re still just in January. Once the deal is final in 2023, Microsoft will own franchises from Activision-Blizzard, Bethesda, and more, giving them a huge catalog of games.
As such, with games such as Overwatch, StarCraft, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, and Doom there is some major crossover potential. Already we’ve seen Overwatch League teams create skins with Halo’s Master Chief, but there are more possibilities than just cosmetics.
For fighting game fans, mainly those of Nintendo’s Smash Bros series, they want Xbox to get in on the platform fighter craze and have begun posting their dream rosters to social media.
Microsoft could make a pretty good smash bros clone with all their new IPs pic.twitter.com/wMCE7AMMMg
— Nathaniel Bandy (@NathanielBandy1) January 18, 2022
What would a Microsoft Smash Ultimate game look like?
Despite Smash being a Nintendo exclusive, Xbox has been active in the series, allowing the Japanese company to use their characters such as Banjo and Steve from Minecraft as DLC.
While Master Chief unfortunately never got an invitation to join the game, much to the chagrin of Halo’s devs, an Xbox mascot fighter could be the Spartan’s chance to duke it out with other gaming heroes.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
On Twitter, fans pointed out Microsoft could make a good Smash clone with all their IPs, noting how Crash Bandicoot, Doom Slayer, Overwatch’s D.Va and Spyro the Dragon could all be included.
Others even made mock rosters using Smash Brawl as a template and included gaming greats such as Commander Keen, Vault Boy and even the paperclip from Microsoft Office.
Honestly making a roster concept for that rn pic.twitter.com/8TqK1Ww6pG
— SquiddyMan (@SquiddyMan47) January 18, 2022
Platform fighters in 2022
If Microsoft does make its own Smash game, they would be the third company to create a mascot fighter, as Sony did the same with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
Nickelodeon tried getting in on the Smash craze in late 2021 with the release of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, but it hardly had the same impact as Ultimate. Additionally, Warner Bros has its own platform fighter, MultiVersus, releasing sometime in 2022 and will feature the likes of Batman, Gandalf, Bugs Bunny, and more WB stars.
With the future of Smash as a series uncertain, if Xbox can get in on the action, fans could have a lot to be excited about, but we’ll have to wait and see what Microsoft decides to do.