Steve is debatably THE broken top-tier character in Smash Ultimate. His limitless potential has given a few players, such as Onin and Acola, more spotlight. Over time, Steve has been getting more powerful as Steve scientists lab to find new broken tech.
There was a certain discovery for Steve that nullifies one of Smash Bros’ main features. This certain tech could destroy the game’s health and make Steve the absolute #1 character. His dominance could be similar to Bayonetta in Smash 4. This specific tech was found by a few Steve scientists, including @XCidoClipDump, @Connorcarried, and @SteveLabs.
Steve’s Broken Tech Mechanic
Neutral special allows Steve to place blocks anywhere around the stage. There are limits to where Steve can place blocks. If he is too far above or away from the stage, a gray block sign will appear below him to symbolize the limit. That failed animation after buffering certain moves lets him cancel hit stun. This new tech is named “Phantom MLG.”
What makes Phantom MLG very strong is reversing/nullifying the attacker’s reward for landing a blow. Using the tech lets Steve immediately punish his opponent during their attacks or escape from kill setups. He can even jump back on stage and slip past opponent’s ledge trapping. No attacks will be effective enough to overcome Steve’s new frame-one option.
Reasons to Ban Steve
Phantom MLG is very simple for its effectiveness. The inputs are any of Steve’s aerials – hold neutral B during the aerials. This exploit significantly differs from other characters’ combo breakers like Bayonetta’s Bat Within, Mythra’s foresight, and Shulk’s Art Change, among others. There’s no drawback for Steve to use the tech with its unnoticeable recovery. The worst case for Steve is possibly placing a block, which gives him a safe floor to stand and act on.
What makes Phantom MLG so dangerous is Steve’s design. Steve can craft his weapons, leveling up his attack power. His most devastating moves are his minecart (side b) and anvil (down air). Using a diamond-level minecart or anvil will give over 20% damage with a huge knockback. Using both of Steve’s buffed tools and tech will steal the opponent’s advantage or his stock.
Banning Phantom MLG is a lot easier said than done. The tech is very minimal in visuals, making it hard for players to catch it. Banning the tech competitively will force the tournament organizers to watch every Steve match to find the tech. Some players might mistakenly call out the forbidden tech during a tournament match, forcing the set to halt for review. There would have to be consequences whether the tech gets called out properly or not. Banning the character is the seemingly reasonable option to ease the tournament organizers.
Response to Broken Tech
Steve’s game-breaking tech worried many Tournament Organizers worldwide about the game’s health. This concern resulted in Steve being banned from many competitive tournaments. His ban spanned the globe, including Canada (Montreal), the United States (Kansas, Iowa, Florida), and Mexico (Quintana Roo).
Hungrybox has been doing online tournaments, called Coinbox, to support the Smash Bros community. Until further notice, he has banned Steve from his tournament to avoid causing problems for his online Tournament Organizers.
The competitive scenes around the world are still discussing whether the whole character should be banned or just the Phantom MLG tech. The upcoming Smash major tournament, Collision, has banned Steve’s overpowered tech. If the tournament runs smoothly with Steve’s inclusion, he might be safe to stay with the roster.
Steve is hated by his opponents, but loved by the crowd. He’s also great for players who enjoy his wacky playstyle and appearance. It would be best to forbid the Phantom MLG, though the cost of raising work for Tournament Organizers is too great. Those who support the Smash Bros community shouldn’t have to stall the tournament to review every match for the forbidden tech. With Phantom MLG’s effectiveness and simple inputs, the only beneficial choice is to ban Steve…for now. Limiting a competitive player’s options in the roster is disheartening, though it’s more important to keep Smash Ultimate healthy and stress-free.
