Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: What we learned from today’s Direct

New characters, new modes, and more all arrived in today’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct. How many surprises remain?

With just a month to go until Super Smash Bros. Ultimate drops on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo decided to give us some more information about the game. Not only was a new reveal expected, but the company gave us much more than that — including updates to online play, new modes, and more.

As the Direct kicked off, fans were pretty excited. Of course, that’s not too much of a surprise — Smash has always been huge.

In terms of new characters added, Ken of Street Fighter fame will come to pair up with Ryu, who first debuted in the last title, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U. Meanwhile, Pokémon fans have another creature to add to their squad: Incineroar, a Fire-Type. Since Charizard is back with the Pokémon Trainer, that only makes sense. This rounds out the base game, but DLC has been confirmed — so new characters are confirmed. Additionally, no echo fighters will be developed. Each set, with character, stage, and music, should be $5.99; but the Fighters Pass will let you pick up 5 fighters, stages, and music, which will run $24.99. The pass also includes a bonus outfit — Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s Rex.

Despite paid DLC making its return, fans will also get a “free, limited-time offer”: Piranha Plant as a fighter. Yes, really. Yes, it stays in its pot. Don’t worry, the introduction was full of puns. It won’t arrive until post-launch — about a “couple of months” — but it’ll be free so long as you register on My Nintendo or purchase the digital game.

But beyond that, there are new modes, including a Spirits Mode that lets you team up with characters who aren’t even in the game. This writer spotted Ephraim of Fire Emblem, plenty of Animal Crossing characters, and even some Snipperclips characters. It looks like a variant on the stickers and equipment modes of games past as well. At the end of the Direct, we got something like a story teaser for what’s happened to start Spirits Mode off.

Spirits will also play a role in the Adventure mode, World of Light. It’s not full-on story, according to Masahiro Sakurai, but at least there’s a story explanation. Frankly, it looks like there’s a lot of content — including multiple maps, plenty of spirits, and so on.

Online play is getting revamped. Although Global Smash Power remains, matchmaking will be based on different factors, and For Fun and For Glory are no more. Additionally, you’ll get Smashers’ tags, which can be traded in to get more things in your own game. That seemed mostly to be for Spirits Mode. Online play will also utilize the Switch Online app, but Smash as a whole will also have its own app for people to download.

Assist Trophies will also get some additions, including the Black Knight and Tiki of Fire Emblem fame, ARMS‘ Spring Man, and a Thwomp. But perhaps best of all, Guile of Street Fighter, his meme-tastic theme intact, will come and assist. Ultimately, there are 59 Assist Trophies.

The Direct also showcased some changes to options, including some abilities to give handicaps during local play, called Custom Balance. (It’s not for wireless and online play, though.) Mii Fighters are making their return, with outfits that let you play as the Yiga Clan of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ribbon Girl from ARMS, Chibi Robo, Ray MkII of Custom Robo, and even with the Toy-Con of Nintendo LABO.

North Americans have some events coming up, with the opportunity to play ahead of time. With all that, this is it. We have no more big reveals until next year, probably, when DLC starts to arrive.