The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate French Championship has recently released its official set of rules. A Reddit user soon noticed that tournament doesn't allow Hero, the pan-Dragon Quest series DLC character added to the game this past July, to be played.
Hero quickly became a controversial character when considered for Smash tournament play due to his Down-B. The move, in an attempt to honor his turn-based RPG heritage, allows to the player to select from one of four unique abilities randomly added in a list displayed at the bottom of the screen out of a potential 18.
Smash players were immediately divided as to whether or not Hero should be allowed in tournaments. Those arguing for a Hero ban pointed to the move contributing to an uneven playing field, due to those who don't speak the language the game is being played in being unable to read the list of commands while a Hero player is selecting one of the displayed moves. Those against a Hero ban argued that calls for a ban were knee jerk reactions to a novel mechanic, and that the longer the character existed in the game, the more players would become used to playing against the unique set of challenges he presents.
The French Smash Ultimate Championship (Championnat de France Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) is being organized by Nintendo France, so their decision, while not reflective of the competitive Smash scene as a whole, does nonetheless demonstrate which side of the debate onto which those at Nintendo France/Nintendo of Europe have fallen.
Most recently, at the Mainstage Smash tournament in Ontario, Canada, Japanese player Raito lost to American player Salem on an English-language console, and in a Tweet after the match, Raito expressed that his inability to understand the on-screen abilities may have contributed to his loss. However, in a follow-up Tweet, Raito clarified that he doesn't feel that this was an unfair situation, and blamed his own lack of preparation for his inability to recognize the different moves. Just like the larger conversation about a Hero ban, the reasons for the loss are complicated.
Since the biggest and most prestigious Smash tournaments are not those sponsored by Nintendo, this doesn't necessarily indicate a future trend in the competitive Smash world. However, those arguing for a Hero ban from here on out can point to Nintendo of France as an ally from here on out.