During today’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Dragon Quest Hero DLC Presentation, producer Sakurai revealed that the Dragon Quest Hero DLC Fighter would be joining the brawl as early as today!

Update 4.0.0 will be going live in just a matter of hours, and will introduce ‘The Hero‘ as a new fighter! If you have the fighter pass, you’ll be able to play with him and his stage as soon as the update is available. However, you’ll also be able to purchase his challenger pack separately for $5.99 USD, if you wish!

[UPDATE] It looks like the update will arrive slightly later for European fans – on 31 July 2019. The UK version of the presentation confirms this.

Check out further details in the press release below!

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– A Hero draws near! Starting later today, Hero from the DRAGON QUEST series enters the battle as a new playable fighter in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game for the Nintendo Switch system. In a new video, Nintendo not only showcased the Hero in action, but also unveiled the Yggdrasil’s Altar stage and several orchestrated music tracks from classic DRAGON QUEST games coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. All of this new content will be available to players who own the Fighters Pass or purchase Challenger Pack 2 separately*.

Starting later today, Hero from the DRAGON QUEST series enters the battle as a new playable fighter in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game for the Nintendo Switch system.

“With the introduction of fan-favorite characters like Hero from the DRAGON QUEST series to the game’s expanding roster, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate continues to assemble the largest cast of iconic video game characters ever,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We love being able to engage Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fans through a steady release of exciting downloadable content, and look forward to continuing to expand on players’ game experiences on Nintendo Switch beyond launch.”

Hero enters the arena equipped with a sword and shield, and wielding familiar DRAGON QUEST spells like “Frizz,” “Zap” and “Woosh.” The character comes with additional alternate character designs that represent the main characters from several games in the DRAGON QUEST series. He can take the form of the protagonists from DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition, the latest DRAGON QUEST title coming to Nintendo Switch on Sept. 27; DRAGON QUEST III: The Seeds of Salvation; DRAGON QUEST IV: Chapters of the Chosen; and DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. This is the first time ever that all four heroes from these DRAGON QUEST games are fighting together.

Players who own the Fighters Pass or purchase Challenger Pack 2 separately will also have access to a new stage, Yggdrasil’s Altar, which features the great mythical tree from many DRAGON QUEST games. The stage is full of moving platforms, which fly through different locales that DRAGON QUEST fans might recognize, and even features some familiar (slimy) faces in the background. Orchestrated music tracks from classic DRAGON QUEST titles will also be coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate alongside Hero and the Yggdrasil’s Altar stage.

Along with the release of Hero later today, a free software update to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will also be available, which adds an in-game online tourney mode**, a “Very Easy” setting in the single-player Adventure mode and the ability to predict the winner in Spectate mode, among other features.