1v1 multiplier

The 1v1 multiplier is a mechanic in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate designed to speed up matches between two players. In short, when a game has only two players, and items are off, characters take 1.2× damage from all sources.

The 1v1 multiplier is a damage-taken modifier rather than a damage-given one, and is applied after all other calculations. For example, a move with a damage output of 10% will inflict said amount of damage, and then once all other effects are determined (such as the amount of knockback), an extra 2% will be added. As a result, it has a few unintuitive interactions:

• It does not affect the amount of damage needed to KO an opponent. If a move will KO when it hits an opponent at 120%, it will do so whether the 1v1 multiplier is on or off.
  • However, it does mean that the opponent will be at higher damage before the last hit of a multi-hit move connects, and thus the move will effectively KO earlier.
• It does not affect the length of hitstun, freeze frames, shieldstun, status effects (such as bury or sleep), and so on.
• It does not cause attacks to break through armor earlier.
• It does not cause projectiles to break through reflection earlier.
• It does not affect the damage received by counterattacks or absorption moves.
• It amplifies recoil damage and hoop damage, but it does not alter healing.
• It is active in training mode when there is only one CPU opponent. Adding more CPUs disables it.

Shields and stage elements are unaffected by the multiplier, though most other player-created objects are (such as Pikmin or K. Rool's belly).