During this year’s EVO, which is an annual video game tournament that focuses on fighting games, a Super Smash Bros. fan asked PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale director Omar Kendall why his upcoming brawler is a Super Smash Bros. rip-off. Kendall responded by saying, “we fully admit [PlayStation All Stars] borrows from many different kinds of games including Smash, but our goal is not solely replicate the Smash Bros. experience.” Kendall also requests that fans of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series approach PlayStation All-Stars “with an open mind.”

“PlayStation All Stars is its own game. I think that’s really the only way I can answer that. I understand that Smash players – some Smash players, not all Smash players do this – will sort of base how successful PlayStation All Stars as a game is on how accurately it recreates the Smash Bros. experience. But that’s not really our goal.”

“Our goal is to create a unique combat experience for PlayStation All Stars that we fully admit borrows from many different kinds of games including Smash, but our goal is not solely replicate the Smash Bros. experience.”

“I just really would ask that players like you, approach it with an open mind.”