Apparently Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will censor the design of one of Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s main characters.
Since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is out in the wild, information has been leaking left and right. Leaked Spirit Artworks of the game which popped up a few hours ago (via) reveal that Mythra, one of the protagonists of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, will be getting censored.
Her new design, which you can compare in the slider below, covers her from top of bottom with cleavage-less top and tights.
The differences
Since Smash Ultimate is rated E for Everyone I think we could have expected this considering the overly sexual designs of the women of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. However I think they went a bit overboard, the game will feature Samus’ zero suit after all. The design looks good though and maybe I prefer it over the original. I’m pretty conflicted over this.
There is an abundance of Spirits within the Spirits mode, which are essentially images of video game characters that offer benefits to a character when applied to them, in a similar manner to the stickers from Brawl.
It seems that not all of the images of the Spirits will be true to their original counterparts, as it has been revealed that some of the female Spirits have had their artwork censored in order to show less skin.
A thread on ResetEra initially revealed that the artwork of Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 would be censored, as her bare legs are now covered in black stockings and her cleavage has been covered up with a piece of black cloth.
This leak has been supported by a user on Twitter named Let’s Go Nathan Sora For Smash Ultimate, who revealed the picture as it appears in the Spirits/World of Light mode.
Mythra isn't the only one who has been censored
Mythra isn’t the only one who has been censored, as a Twitter user named Steven Shaw has revealed that Camilla from Fire Emblem: Fates has also been covered up, as her cleavage is now obscured by an extension of her armor.
These edits to Camilla and Mythra were almost certainly to do with the game’s age rating, as similar edits have been used in previous Super Smash Bros. games.
The ESRB Leak
The ESRB leak of Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U showed a trophy of Tharja from Fire Emblem: Awakening that was cut from the game for showing too much skin.
Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U also altered Palutena’s outfit with a patch in order to extend its length.
Bayonetta’s appearance in Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U is also less explicit than how she appears in her own games, with her outfit showing less skin and less of her clothes being removed whenever she performs a Wicked Weaves attack.
These edits seem to be a necessary step for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to avoid a higher age rating, especially in regards to Japan where the rules regarding console games are a lot stricter.
The crossover nature of the Super Smash Bros. games means that many different art styles and character designs will meet each other on the battlefield, which has the side-effect of more provocative characters needing to be covered up in order to avoid trouble with CERO or the ESRB.
What do you think of Mythra’s altered design? Let us know in the comments below.