Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is more exciting than ever after Patch 11.0.
When Pyra and Mythra were released as DLC on March 4, 2021, Nintendo also released patch 11.0. In addition to making these new fighters work within the game, the patch came with lots of smaller balance updates that will impact the wider metagame and tier lists for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The patch is still very fresh, so some of the biggest character buffs and nerfs are becoming clear. An old favorite has become good again, and two of the game’s best characters just became much less appealing. The patch also impacted every character from Fighter Pass 2 in interesting ways.
Here’s a look at the latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate changes after Patch 11.0 and at least one tier list that’s been created out of it.
Which characters got the biggest buffs and debuffs in Patch 11.0?
The update’s patch notes reveal all of the changes that came to several characters in Patch 11.0. When it comes to buffs, the most surprising improvements came to Pichu. This small Pikachu pre-evolution was a fantastic character around the game’s launch even though it damaged itself with most attacks.
Unfortunately, it got debuffed in the game’s first year. Patch 11.0 takes the first step to reverse these changes. Pichu will now take less damage during most special attacks and throws, making it a quicky and deadly glass canon for those who can’t deal with it. But now it’s moved upward into S-Tier. Similarly, Byleth has jumped upwards quite a bit.
Meanwhile, the biggest debuffs came to two very notable characters: Wario and Joker.
Wario’s up-tilt and down-special, two of his best attacks, have both been made less effective. This means the character’s most useful tools, like his motorcycle, aren’t as good anymore. This will likely make Wario much less viable, even if he remains decent.
Joker is now a bit more vulnerable during his side and down specials now, so he should be easier to hit than before. He will still likely remain top-tier; he’s just a little less overwhelming than before. We’ve yet to see drastic changes to the meta just yet but expect the placement of Pichu, Wario, and Joker to change slightly following this update.
But what about the characters from Fighter Pass 2?
How did Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Patch 11.0 impact Fighter Pass 2 characters?
Min-Min: In patch 11.0, Min-Min was nerfed quite significantly as her Smash attack can’t charge for as long anymore, her Dragon ARM has less launch distance than before, and she’s more vulnerable when air dodging and falling in place. She’s still pretty powerful, but we may see her usefulness drop a bit now that she isn’t as good.
Steve: In Patch 11.0, Steve really only benefited from “increased attack range.” While Steve mains will be happy about this buff, it still hasn’t pushed Steve into the top tiers or anything drastic.
Sephiroth: The Final Fantasy VII villain Sephiroth is in a similar situation to Steve come patch 11.0. He’s powerful and fun to use but not top-tier. This still hasn’t changed, though this new patch “Made it easier to hit multiple times.”
Pyra and Mythra: While it’s still a bit too early to say for sure, it looks like Pyra/Mythra may rank quite highly on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tier lists, specifically thanks to Mythra. Pyra is slow and strong and ultimately flawed because of that mix. Thankfully, Mythra is super fast and deals a lot of damage quickly, even if she isn’t as strong as her Aegis counterpart.
As the metagame around Pyra and Mythra continues to develop, it seems that these characters could become mainstays in the highest tiers thanks to Mythra’s speed and versatility. There’s a chance Pyra and Mythra may be the strongest character to come out of Fighter Pass 2, even if the final characters are more exciting additions for fans.
Very few tier lists have emerged in the wake of the 11.0 update, but Gfinity Esports has an early breakdown. Joker and Palutena have been dropped down from S- to A-tier, but Byleth adjustments have pushed them up into A.
For Pyra and Mythra to land in the S-Tier right out of the gate like this is impressive, but we’ll have to wait and see whether they stay based on more tier lists in the future.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch.
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