Super Smash Bros Ultimate: Piranha Plant DLC is available now – CNET

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s roster is already full of capable Smash fighters, with Nintendo dropping in every character that’s ever been in a Smash Bros. game for the latest (and maybe last?) iteration of the mega franchise.

But Nintendo aren’t done with Ultimate’s roster just yet.

As part of a huge patch that brought sweeping changes to the current roster on Jan. 29, Nintendo has also included the very first DLC character: Piranha Plant, the sentient, toothy potted shrub. Adding DLC fighters to your Ultimate roster usually costs real world dollars but Piranha Plant is available to anyone who has purchased the game before Jan. 31, for free. 

However, there’s a couple of hoops to jump through if you’re keen to get the floral fighter at no expense. We’ve detailed the process  for unlocking the free Piranha Plant DLC below — just remember you need to have bought a copy before Jan. 31.

Players who purchased a physical copy of the game will need to dive into the options menu on their Nintendo Switch ($289 at Amazon) to register the game with Nintendo. Do this before the Jan. 31 deadline, and Nintendo will email an eShop redemption code for the character to the email address associated with your account.

Here’s the full process as detailed by Nintendo:

If you buy the retail version, then you’ll need to register your game card with My Nintendo before 11:59 p.m. PT on Jan. 31, 2019. Here are the steps:

1) First, create a My Nintendo account at my.nintendo.com if you haven’t already done so.
2) Insert the game card into your Nintendo Switch console and highlight the game icon on the HOME menu.
3) Press the + or – button to access the software Options menu.
4) Highlight “My Nintendo Rewards Program,” then select “Earn Points (Game Card version only)” to finish the process.

Players who purchased the game digitally should be automatically registered, but still need to check their email for an eShop redemption code. That code will still work even if it arrives after the deadline, but don’t sit on it too long: Piranha Plant eShop codes expire on June 30, 2019.

At the time of this writing, the deadline to register your copy of the game is just two days away, but Nintendo has been making a concerted effort to notify players, mentioning the deadline in social media posts, announcements in the Nintendo eShop news channel and even in pop-up prompts that appear when players launch the game. If you cannot find the code in your email, you can also reach out to Nintendo’s Customer Support team for help.

Don’t have Smash Bros. Ultimate yet? Then you’re probably going to miss out on the free version of Piranha Plant, but Nintendo says the character will be available for purchase later this year.

First published on Jan. 25 at 1:29 p.m.

Updated Jan. 29 at 6:41 p.m.: Adds Piranha Plant DLC is now available.