Battle League revived the long-dormant Mario Strikers series earlier this year, bringing Nintendo's take on football to the Switch. Reviews and reactions to the game were mostly good, but one of the biggest complaints was its thin roster. Little did we know Nintendo always intended to expand on it, and today announced the first new characters coming to the game later this week.
As revealed via the trailer below, Daisy and Shy Guy will be added to the game on July 21, so this Thursday. Daisy, flaunted as a technical player who boasts an incredibly high technique stat, quite rightly headlines the trailer. An addendum to the lack of players at launch was the severe lack of female inhabitants from the Mushroom Kingdom to choose from. Just Peach and Rosalina.
Unlike Daisy, Shy Guy doesn't boat one stat that is better than all the others. As highlighted in the trailer, the gear you equip for Shy Guy will be key here. He will basically be equally as good, or bad depending on how you frame it, at everything. The items you equip will determine where he excels on the pitch.
Speaking of gear, the biggest upate since Battle League launched also includes new items. You will soon be able to make your players look like Knights. Doing so will improve their strength and speed stats. Last but not least coming to Mario Strikers on Thursday is a new stadium. Desert Ruin, an arena that pulls a number of familiar elements from sand-based levels throughout Mario's history.
Daisy, Shy Guy, and everything else included in this week's Battle League update won't be the only new content that arrives in-game before the end of the year. As highlighted by Nibellion shortly after Nintendo dropped the trailer, the studio has promised two more waves of content before the end of 2022, both of which appear to include two characters, new gear, and a new stadium, just like today's announcement. Launching DLC for sport-based Mario games appears to be the way forward for Nintendo. The second wave of Mario Kart courses will likely be arriving soon. Unlike Mario Kart, Battle League's DLC will be free.