During a recent video detailing Paper Mario: The Origami King, GameStop may have inadvertently leaked the newest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter as Super Mario RPG's very own Geno.
Recently, gaming retail company GameStop did a video discussing the upcoming Nintendo Switch title Paper Mario: The Origami King. In the video, Pamela Horton dives a bit into the history of the franchise, from the humble beginnings of the series with the Super Nintendo classic, Super Mario RPG.
Upon discussing the game, Horton praises its excellent gameplay, fourth-wall-breaking humor, and characters. In regard to the game's characters, she states "I mean, there's a reason that everyone was freaking out when Geno was announced for Smash!"
This is a big deal, of course, is that Geno has not been announced for Smash. At least, not as a fully playable character. Geno is currently a spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and starting in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, he was given a Mii Fighter costume. Horton could have been referring to Geno's announcement as a Mii Fighter costume, but this would be strange as it occurred roughly five years ago, and no one seemed to be "freaking out" over that news at the time. If anything, fans were disappointed at the announcement and wished he was fully playable. It's also unlikely that Horton was referring to Geno's in-game spirit, as it holds even less significance.
The most likely possibility is that this information on Geno's reveal for Smash was given to GameStop ahead of time, and it was accidentally mentioned before a formal announcement was made by the Nintendo. The company is notorious for accidentally leaking its information ahead of official announcements, with previous Ultimate DLC fighters getting leaked as well. It is possible that this could have just been a mistake on GameStop's side, but it's unclear at this point.
Several Smash characters that started off as simple Mii Fighter costumes have become full-fledged characters, with Animal Crossing's Isabelle, Splatoon's Inklings, and Fire Emblem's Chrom as examples. This could very well be the same case for Geno, as fans have been very vocal about their desires to see him promoted up to fighter status. The Paper Mario series does not yet have a character to represent it, and Geno would be a great fit. Nintendo is rumored to be having a Direct event later this month, so perhaps Geno will be announced during it.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available exclusively for Switch.