Smash Ultimate ver. 13.0.1 nerfs Min Min & Pyra/ Mythra, buffs Inkling, Bowser Jr, and more

Publication date of the original Japanese article: 2021-12-02 12:04 (JST)
Translated by. Ryuki Ishii

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate update version 13.0.1, the “final fighter adjustments” patch, is now live. While most of the changes are buffs, a couple of fighters including Min Min got nerfed.

A total of 23 fighters (counting Pyra/Mythra as one fighter) have received balance changes, most notably Piranha Plant, Inkling, Bowser Jr, and Meta Knight.

Piranha Plant’s moves that were somewhat difficult to use have been buffed:

[Piranha Plant]
Side Tilt Attack: Extended launch distance for the final attack.
Down Tilt Attack: Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts. Reduced vulnerability.
Down Air Attack: Increased the amount of time the meteor effect lasts for the damage window.
Down Special: Shortened the time to use the move.

The biggest change made to Inkling is “Reduced vulnerability when reloading ink.” Inkling’s moves, including Neutral Special and Side Smash Attack have been significantly buffed as well:

[Inkling]
etc.: Reduced vulnerability when reloading ink.
Side Tilt Attack: Increased power. Extended launch distance.
Up Tilt Attack: Made it easier to hit opponents on the ground.
Side Smash Attack: Made it easier to hit the high-damage range.
Neutral Special: Extended the distance of the shot.

Bowser Jr’s Dash Attack and Down Tilt Attack, which were a bit hard to land in succession, have been improved. The attack power of the Up Smash Attack has been increased. Overall, this is a solid enhancement for the fighter.

[Bowser Jr.]
Dash Attack: Made it easier to hit multiple times. Increased power.
Down Tilt Attack: Made it easier to hit multiple times. Adjusted launch angle for the final attack.
Up Smash Attack: Increased power.
Side Special: Extended launch distance when spinning.

Meta Knight’s aerial moves and anti-aerial moves have been buffed, including Forward Air Attack, Back Air Attack, and Up Smash Attack:

[Meta Knight]
Up Smash Attack: Increased attack range. Adjusted so opponents won’t fall over when hit with the first or second hit.
Forward Air Attack: Increased power.
Back Air Attack: Increased power.
Up Throw: Extended launch distance.

Other fighters like Donkey Kong, Ike, and Ice Climbers were also buffed with the latest update. The Smash Ultimate player Sparg0 seems to like the change made to Cloud’s Down Special (attack speed for Finishing Touch was increased), judging from the tweet below.

Pyra/ Mythra and Min Min were nerfed. First, the vulnerability of Pyra’s Side Special has been increased. Her Side Special is an important move for controlling the distance between you and your opponent. With the increased vulnerability, it’ll be now harder to use this move. As for Mythra, the launch distance of her Side Smash Attack was shortened. Pyra and Mythra have recently been gaining prominence in the competitive scene, but now they have been nerfed.

Min Min, who had been nerfed in the past, saw further adjustments. The fighter has a long reach and strong anti-shield capabilities, but those core features have been weakened.

[Min Min]
Basic Movements: Reduced the power against shields for each punch. Adjusted the length of some of the animations when knocked down on the ground to match other fighters.
Neutral Air Attack: Increased the vulnerability when landing.
Side Smash Attack: Reduced the duration of the Dragon’s beam.

As for the newest fighter Sora, only a minor adjustment was made to his basic movements:

[Sora]
Basic Movements: Adjusted the length of some of the animations when knocked down on the ground to match other fighters.

Series director Masahiro Sakurai commented on this update saying this is indeed the last fighter adjustments for the game, and that he’s satisfied with the current balance.

There will be no more DLC fighters or balance updates for Smash Ultimate. The only thing left is possible bug fixes. This is pretty much the end of the game’s development process. However, I’m sure the fanbase and the competitive scene will remain active for a long time to come.

You can check out the full patch notes here.