While I'm not
Scoliosis Jones, I can still offer my input (as someone who was borderline Elite Smash and has now gotten pretty high up in the Elite Smash ranks consistently):
FTR, I first entered Elite Smash September 30th 2019 - I've logged 5400 online games total, of which 1823 were Elite Smash matches as
. I was in Elite Smash limbo (described below) until about June / July, and since then I've only left ES very briefly due to an insane losing streak. Not just because it got easier to enter Elite Smash (see below), but also because I got more consistent. I've spent 355 hours just playing Quickplay Cloud. #Valueableuseofmytime.
Anyhow, pretty much everyone who does the "Every Character into Elite Smash" challenge "retires" most of the cast once everyone's in out of practicality / not wanting to lose the bragging rights. It's much, much easier for most people to focus on one or a couple characters. There are only a relative few (like
Tweek) who can be really, really good with the entire cast and not have to worry about losing that.
I know that some who focus on one or a couple characters do that too because the Elite Smash border is a really hard one (I'd say too hard -
IMHO it would be much better if Ultimate had something like Tekken's system of "Win 2 of the next 3 battles to win promotion into / avoid demotion out of Elite Smash") but a good general rule of thumb is "If you can get into Elite Smash in the first place, chanches are you can re-enter quickly too". At around the Elite Smash border you'll find more and more people who play seriously and will use the tricks they know, so it requires some consistency. Oh and not getting unlucky with the occassional jank ruleset.
The Elite Smash border is now the Top 6 % (as opposed to pre Patch 8.0, where it was the top 3,5 %) so it's a bit easier, but still.
It's not the biggest hassle to re-enter once one has done it (most of the time, barring any insane losing streaks), but that aformentioned hard border creates a limbo of sorts where those who are borderline keep bouncing in and out (Losing against a higher Elite Smash -> Winning vs. someone on Normal Quickplay -> Losing... lather, rinse, repeat.) That limbo is the primary reason IMO why they should've had Tekken's system instead re: the Elite Smash border.