Steve has been the topic of recent conversations in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate due to a tech that potentially makes him too powerful—and those ongoing conversations may lead to the fighting game’s first-ever character ban.
A Smash tech called Phantom MLG popped up on Twitter a couple of days ago which basically makes multi-hit character moves against Steve virtually nonexistent.
This got the community talking about the character again, this time in a far more negative light. Many in the FGC have already considered Steve too powerful for too long, and rank him alongside other Smash outliers like Aegis and Joker. The conversation went so far that some players began signing a petition to have him suspended from play.
However, that was vetoed after people told others to ‘just learn the match-up.’
This time, it’s a different look for Steve: many are expecting him to actually get banned from tournaments this time.
There are two sides to the conversations that have flared up: people who think the tech itself should be banned and people who think the character should cop the full brunt of the exclusion. An upcoming major tourney, Collision 2023, has already decided to ban the tech.
But for other tournaments, that might just not be the case. Hungrybox, a Smash legend who runs Coinbox, has hinted at a character ban instead of a tech ban.
As of now, there are still no concrete decisions from other Smash tournaments on whether to ban the tech or the character or if there’s even a Steve ban needed in the first place. It will all depend on how the next few days will go—keep your eyes peeled.
