This proved to be the final straw for many top players and tournament organizers, and several organizations announced that Steve would be banned from their events moving forward. On February 25th, 2023, Twitter user and other Steve players posted videos explaining a new tech called 'Phantom MLG,' which allows Steve to cancel hit stun from most attacks and act immediately after getting hit, potentially leading to a kill move or a combo that leads to a kill. I have to hand it to Sakurai, theyre still making. Heres the actual standalone trailer for the new fighter. Heres the timestamp for the livestream and includes Sakurai talking after the new fighter reveal. Those in the anti-ban argued that Steve was nowhere near as 'game-breaking' as Smash 4 Bayonetta and Brawl Meta Knight, as the character had representation among top players and a Steve player had yet to achieve a respectable placement at a major tournament (example by shown below, right). Steve and Alex From Minecraft Joins Super Smash Bros Nintendo just announced Steve and Alex as the next fighter for Super Smash Bros. Those in the pro-ban camp argued that Steve's simplicity helped less-skilled players win games they shouldn't, saying Steve 'carried' the player (example from shown below, left). Their ploy ultimately worked, as for several days, the competitive Smash community argued about the merits of banning Steve from the game. In a video interview with competitive Smash player LarryLur, a representative from the Lafayette region stated that they knew there were no top Steve players in their region, and that the ban was more to 'get a conversation going' about whether the character should be banned on a broader scale. On December 14th, LaffySmash, an esports organization in Lafayette, Louisiana, announced that they would ban Steve from their tournaments for two weeks. The feeling was exacerbated on December 13th, 2021, when Tweek, generally considered one of the top three players in the world, was upset by a Steve player named DDog at a local tournament (shown below). This is due to the simplicity of Steve's combos to execute and high high damage output. Throughout 2021, the competitive Smash Ultimate community regarded Steve with increasing concern, as some felt that, when played at a high level, Steve could be potentially game-breaking, a la Bayonetta in Smash 4 and Meta Knight in Brawl. YouTuber Largetrap posted a parody of the Steve reveal trailer, showing Steve with a gun, gaining over 14,000 views (shown below).

Fan art posted by showing Pac-man and Steve in a Minecraft house gained over 650 retweets and 2,400 likes (shown below, right).

Twitter user joked that Freddy from Five Nights at Freddy's would be the next added character considering other surprising Smash inclusions (shown below, left). Others made memes about Steve's ultimate inclusion in the game after years of calls for it.

14L圜RsTvU- Playcenter 🎃 October 1, 2020 A clip of streamer Shokio saying people excited for the inclusion were 'mentally ill' was criticized on Twitter, as people noted that the inclusion was likely exciting to kids and players who wanted to see Minecraft in Smash (shown below). Some were thrilled that Steve from Minecraft had finally gotten included, particularly after years of the idea of his inclusion being a minor meme among the Smash community. The news was met with mixed responses from Smash fans.

Minecraft steve in smash