Nintendo unexpectedly releases Super Smash Bros. Ultimate update 13.0.5

Nintendo released update 13.0.5 for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during the early hours of Wednesday, September 2nd. The update is already available and is required to play online.

Details regarding the update were announced by Nintendo itself on its website.

According to the Japanese company, the update contains only the following change:

"Fixed an issue where unexpected behavior could occur when invalid data is sent or received during online play."

Although Nintendo has not specified this directly, a number of internet users have suggested that the purpose of this update is to remove the popular mod used by many competitive players to eliminate the game's built-in delay during online matches.

This is a small patch that does not change the game's balance or add any significant features. However, as Nintendo itself has pointed out, it is absolutely necessary in order to play online.

If this update was indeed released to remove the online delay mod, as currently appears to be the case, modders will likely begin working on a solution, although one probably will not be available immediately.

Nintendo's description of the issue involving "invalid data being sent or received" is particularly noteworthy. When one player is using the mod (which requires a hacked console) and the other is not, the player without the mod installed may experience additional latency and other minor but undesirable unexpected behaviour.

For this reason, the mod's use has not been without controversy among members of the competitive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community.

Other users, however, have pointed out that the update may instead be intended to address an exploit in Quickplay that some Smash players reportedly used to disconnect their opponents and fraudulently gain points.

Of course, it is also possible that Nintendo intended to address both issues. We will likely know more in the coming hours.

Nintendo has also warned that there may be problems playing back replays saved on the console from previous versions of the game. For this reason, players are recommended to convert their replays into videos through the Vault before installing the update.

This is Ultimate's first patch in more than a year: version 13.0.4 was released in June 2025.