So I planned on waiting until the next Direct before posting here again but there is a chance with my new job that it may be affected on how quick I can be here after the Direct and I may not even be able to see it as soon as it drops. Regardless, I'm glad we've finally moved away from all the bad arguments with faulty logic and evidence because honestly it was just grueling to read this thread and knowing that I wanted to call it all out but that there was literally no point.
Main reason I'm here is to add my two cents to
Fatmanonice
and his Smash reveal speculation.
First off, this man deserves the credit for laying out something that I think a lot of us people like he and myself who like to find patterns in things have done. I've said it personally with IRL friends multiple times but I feel like it's understand in the Smash community that Smash reveals always start strong, then they ****ing explode but end weakly cuz the load has already been blown and Smash runs out of pump and goes full chump after about three to four reveals.
However, I disagree with Fatman on who would be the best choice for FP6. If you want to start strong but not play your aces, I feel like Waluigi is much more of a Wild Card than an Ace. Sure, he's loved and all, but the controversy around him and the fact that you picked him over other ATs like Isaac, Skullkid or Shovel Knight could just as easily cause bad waves. When you think about that and realize that the Smash community is currently still stuck between '**** you Sakurai and Nintendo, I'm not buying your new pass. Will probably just be 6 more FE characters, what a joke!' and 'Sigh, you know what, I really couldn't care less who it is. Hit me with it Sakurai, I just want a new character.' that tells me that a Waluigi reveal in as early as February would be extra dicey and could pan out with a lot of people protesting the Fighter's Pass. This is the day and age for online mobs and cancel culture after all.
I think that Ryu Hayabusa fits much better as a strong but not an Ace reveal. Think about it.
He's one of the last NES icons left not in Smash that can be in Smash, they have yet to do a true proper ninja character (WHERE'S MY IZUNA DROP!), he can have both old school and new school outfits if they desire to appeal to classic and newer fans, and he's been talked about but while not many are asking for him he's also not really a hated pick and many people think he would be a decent edition.
Idk, Ryu Hayabusa just fits an opener to me way better than Waluigi ever could. To me, Waluigi fits an Isabelle-like reveal where it looks like we are getting a new Mario game like Odyssey 2 or something but Waluigi comes in with Wario to mess things up and before the fight breaks out Luigi remembers something and hands something to Waluigi that we can't quite see until we see him freak out with true joy and then we get his splash screen and gameplay...only to have the new 3D Mario still be announced afterwards.
Just my two cents though.
I always thought that Geno will come without stages. Idk for 4 new characters but I think that it could be the case so the whole roster select screen would be a perfect square without empty space lol.
Smash has had even rosters and stage screens in the past, so this really holds no weight.