Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

What Super Smash Bros. Ultimate does

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. (Masahiro Sakurai's studio) in collaboration with HAL Laboratory, and published by Nintendo Co., Ltd. as a Nintendo Switch exclusive released worldwide on December 7, 2018. It is the fifth mainline installment in the Super Smash Bros. franchise, which originated on Nintendo 64 in 1999 and has subsequently shipped for GameCube, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and Switch. The title's defining technical and content component is its roster — the largest in series history — assembled through licensing arrangements with Nintendo-owned properties and third-party IP holders including HAL Laboratory, Pokémon/GAME FREAK, SEGA (Sonic), CAPCOM (Mega Man, Ryu), BANDAI NAMCO (Pac-Man), MONOLITH SOFT (Xenoblade), SQUARE ENIX (Final Fantasy VII's Cloud), INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS (Fire Emblem), and Konami (Snake).

The product operates on a one-time-purchase software licensing model with regional pricing of ¥7,920 in Japan and ₩64,800 in Korea (roughly $55 USD equivalent), sold both as physical retail copies and digital downloads via the Nintendo eShop. Online multiplayer is gated behind the paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription, providing Nintendo with a recurring revenue layer on top of the perpetual game license. Distribution is global from launch, with official websites localized into 13 languages covering markets in the Americas (US, Canada, Mexico), Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Portugal), and Asia Pacific (Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia/NZ). Post-launch monetization is driven by DLC fighter packs, amiibo physical collectibles, and supporting accessories such as the GameCube Controller Adapter.

The game targets two primary customer segments: general Nintendo Switch owners seeking casual local and online multiplayer fighting game experiences, and the dedicated fighting game community / competitive esports players who require high-skill-ceiling mechanics and online matchmaking. Marketing and community engagement are executed through official multi-language websites, the Super Smash Blog, and regional X/Twitter, Facebook, and Weibo accounts. The entity is not a standalone corporation — Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a product franchise whose IP is held by Nintendo Co., Ltd., with development credited to Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and content enabled by a network of cross-publisher licensing agreements.

Name

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Legal name

Nintendo Co., Ltd. (任天堂株式会社)

Website

https://smashbros.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a Nintendo-published crossover fighting game for Nintendo Switch (released December 2018), developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. It sells as a one-time purchase globally, requires Nintendo Switch Online for multiplayer, and targets Switch owners and competitive fighting game players.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Console Video Games

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

akta.pro primary industry

Gaming Community, Chat & LFG Platforms (BPAMAKAK)

Keywords

• Crossover fighting game
• Platform fighter
• Nintendo switch game
• Multiplayer party game
• Console video game

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Game Sales (Physical and Digital): One-time purchase of the game software for Nintendo Switch, sold both as physical retail copies and digital downloads through Nintendo eShop
2. Nintendo Switch Online Subscription: Required subscription service for online multiplayer play, provided separately by Nintendo

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover platform fighting game published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch, featuring the largest roster of playable fighters in the series' history, drawn from Nintendo franchises and third-party IP holders. It supports local multiplayer for up to four players on a single console and online multiplayer through the Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The game includes numerous stages, items, music tracks, and multiple game modes for casual and competitive play.

Product overview

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover fighting game published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch, released December 7, 2018. It is part of the Super Smash Bros. series, which also includes Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014), and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008). The Ultimate version features over 80 playable fighters from Nintendo and third-party franchises. The product portfolio includes the core game, downloadable fighter content, and officially licensed accessories. The series supports local and online multiplayer play, with various game modes including single-player adventure modes, competitive multiplayer, and training modes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Crossover fighting game for Nintendo Switch featuring the largest roster of playable fighters in the series' history, combining characters from Nintendo franchises and third-party publishers. Players battle across multiple stages with items, special moves, and various game modes including local and online multiplayer via Nintendo Switch Online.
• Downloadable Fighters (DLC) Additional playable characters released after the initial game launch as downloadable content, expanding the fighter roster with characters such as Bayonetta, Cloud, Ryu, Roy, Lucas, Mewtwo, and Corrin.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HAL Laboratory, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationHAL Laboratory is credited as original game developer alongside Nintendo for the Super Smash Bros. series, contributing to game design and development.
• Pokémon / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationCharacters from the Pokémon franchise including Pikachu, Pichu, Mewtwo, Lucario, Charizard, and Pokémon Trainer appear as playable fighters.
• SEGAcoreTechnology or IntegrationSEGA contributes Sonic the Hedgehog as a playable fighter and related content to the game.
• CAPCOM CO., LTD.coreTechnology or IntegrationCAPCOM provides Ryu (Street Fighter) and other characters as playable fighters.
• BANDAI NAMCO Games Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationContributes Pac-Man and related content as a playable fighter.
• INTELLIGENT SYSTEMScoreTechnology or IntegrationContributes Marth, Lucina, Robin, and Ike (Fire Emblem series) as playable fighters.
• Sora Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGame director Masahiro Sakurai's company Sora Ltd. is credited for original game creation alongside HAL Laboratory and Nintendo.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mortal Kombat: Warner Bros. / NetherRealm Studios' flagship fighting franchise known for cinematic content, DLC characters, and a major competitive scene. Comparable fighting game product with roster expansion via DLC and crossover guest characters.
• MultiVersus: Warner Bros.' free-to-play platform fighter featuring crossover characters from Warner Bros. and partner IPs. The most direct crossover platform fighter competitor to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in terms of concept and mechanics.
• Dragon Ball FighterZ: Bandai Namco / Arc System Works tag-team fighting game featuring crossover characters from across the Dragon Ball franchise. Comparable crossover fighting game concept with deep competitive mechanics and DLC support.
• Killer Instinct: Microsoft / Rare's flagship fighting game franchise with combo-heavy mechanics and platform-holder backing. Comparable console-platform fighting game with deep competitive scene and roster expansion via seasons.
• Tekken: Bandai Namco's flagship 3D fighting game franchise featuring crossover guest characters (e.g., Akuma, Noctis). Comparable as a flagship fighting game with crossover IP mechanics and major esports presence.
• Guilty Gear -Strive-: Arc System Works' flagship 2D fighting game with deep competitive scene and crossover DLC characters. Comparable fighting game product with strong esports presence and ongoing character DLC support.
• Brawlhalla: Ubisoft's free-to-play platform fighter with crossover guest characters from various franchises including WWE, Tomb Raider, and Street Fighter. Comparable platform fighter with crossover IP roster and ongoing live-service content.
• Rivals of Aether II: Aether Studios' indie platform fighter closely inspired by Super Smash Bros. mechanics. Comparable indie platform fighter competing in the same genre with similar gameplay philosophy and indie development economics.
• Street Fighter: Capcom's flagship 2D fighting game franchise with deep competitive scene and ongoing DLC roster additions. Closely comparable as a flagship fighting game franchise with crossover guest characters and major esports presence.
• Pokkén Tournament: Bandai Namco's Pokémon-themed fighting game for Nintendo Wii U and Switch. Comparable crossover Pokémon IP fighting game exclusive to Nintendo platforms, sharing the Nintendo fighting game ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smashbrosjp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NintendoAU
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmashBros
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/super-smash-bros-ultimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate