I made up a Smash Bros. clone with the folks behind Fallout, Dishonored, and Prey

Revenant, Doom series

Special Attack: The jetpack-equipped, rocket launching skeleton is almost as iconic as the Doom Marine himself, but he isn't much for up-close battles. Stratton decided the Revenant would boost up and send forth "a whirling dervish of rockets", exploding everything around him like a cross between a bullet hell boss and Overwatch's Pharah.

Alternate Outfit: The Revenant's current loadout has a noticeable lack of pants. Stratton decided addressing that omission should be the primary design objective for an alternate outfit. I suggested an office-ready pair of Dockers, but he had a better idea. "He's so rock and roll, maybe leather pants. That would be cool. He could actually be wearing leather pants and an Iron Maiden T-shirt [from a 1992 concert] since that's kind of what inspired him."

Nick Valentine, Fallout 4

Special Attack: Fallout 4's android gumshoe is good with a gun, but he's even better with his wits. That's why Bethesda VP of marketing Pete Hines thinks Nick Valentine would use "his amazing insight [to paralyze you] for some period of time." He'd stop you in your tracks with a meaningful look and a "Listen, pal," and two seconds later you'd be completely helpless.

Alternate Outfit: If anything is going to separate Nick from his film-perfect Humphrey Bogart cosplay, it's going to be a hard left turn toward his synth roots: a full-on Terminator transformation. "With some skin and some not, and wires and metal shit exposed," Hines elaborated. Dark Nick would definitely crush some skulls underfoot in his victory pose.

B.J. Blazkowicz, Wolfenstein series

Special Attack: "Well B.J.'s a little easy," Hines said, visibly relieved after being asked to make up a special attack for late Elder Scrolls emperor Uriel Septim. Wolfenstein: The New Order's hero is a bit easier to get a handle on. "He's a hardcore thug brawler guy. [He'd] just pound you into a fine paste."

Alternate Outfit: "His alternate outfit would actually just be jeans and a T-shirt," Hines said. "Because ultimately all B.J. really wants is just a little quiet picket fence house with kids and a normal life, and just a T-shirt and jeans. Hanging out in the backyard grilling hot dogs." And yes, he'd be wearing a Kiss the Cook novelty apron.

Uriel Septim, Elder Scrolls series

Special Attack: Feeling renewed confidence after laying out a solid design for BJ Blaskowicz, Hines dove back into Uriel Septim. The emperor would use the blood of dragons coursing through his royal veins to glow red and do double damage for a brief period of time. "And I have no idea what his alt outfit would be."

Alternate Outfit: I suggested Patrick Stewart - not from his role as Uriel Septim in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, just how he looks when he's hanging out with Ian McKellen or whatever - but Hines wasn't sold on the idea. Maybe the likeness rights would be cost prohibitive? Later Hines suggested Septim could put on some "cool, tricked out battle armor," the kind of thing an emperor would wear when he wants to lead his army into battle but also not die. Sounds good, but I'm still hoping for some Patrick Stewart DLC.

Ranger, Quake series

Special Attack: Ranger defeats Shub-Niggurath, the Lovecraftian final boss of the original Quake, by teleporting inside of her. Then she explodes because of physics. Id Software boss Tim Willitts said Ranger would use the same technique to position himself behind other players in battle (much like he does in Quake Champions). And if he scored a direct hit with the teleporting Dire Orb he'd get a telefrag, obviously.

Alternate Outfit: "His alternate uniform would be his high school football outfit," Willitts said as soon as I asked the question. "He'd have his football helmet and his jersey." See? Quake does have a backstory!