Update: This rumor has now been confirmed to be an elaborate forgery, with the forger posting a video explaining how they pulled it off.
Original story below:
Nintendo fans are livid with rumors of Rayman possibly making an appearance as DLC in Super Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii U.
This is not well remembered, but the rumor originally came out near the end of July/start of August last year. A Nintendo of Canada spokesperson promoting the game mentioned 'Rayman and a whole bunch of others' in the same breath as Pac-Man, as future playable characters. He did not mention DLC, and his statement was later clarified to refer to Rayman's trophy, but the video evidence proves otherwise. You can watch that video here.
Today, leaks have come out, allegedly from insiders, that show Rayman as an unlockable and selectable character in the game. This time, it's harder to disregard the rumors because there is also video evidence, which you can watch below.
Some fans are up in arms over the possibility of Rayman being in the game. This goes beyond choosing particular characters for the franchise, as Rayman is the mascot of third party developer Ubisoft, who have famously declared they would stop making games for Nintendo platforms. These fans feel Ubisoft doesn't deserve having their mascot represented in the game, as exemplified by this tweet.
Rayman is coming to Smash. I guess Nintendo wanted to repay Ubisoft for all their amazing support.
— Josh Thomas (@TheBitBlock) February 14, 2015
While reaction has been strong, it may be too early to react to the rumor angrily, if at all. This rumor continues to spread without a confirmation from either Ubisoft or Nintendo. It's also worth remembering that the game was actually data mined for cut content, and while the Chorus Boys from Rhythm Fever were found, Rayman was not. Of course, these could all also be elaborate forgeries.
For what it's worth, Sakurai has gone on record to say that Nintendo has not yet decided on future DLC for the game. For sure, considerations such as squeezing more data to the 3DS version, or making amiibo for future DLC characters would be concerns.
Do you think the rumor could be true or not? Would you welcome Rayman in the game? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
