The cultural importance of A Good Butt has survived the endlessly bleak national discourse. Maybe it is this, alone, that has saved the last few scraps of our sanity — our collective appreciation of a necessary donk. So naturally, when the video game community got wind of the fact that Solid Snake’s inclusion in the new Smash Bros. Ultimate video game also includes a visibly flattened butt, fans were understandably upset.

The Metal Gear Solid character was first featured in 2008’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His athletic build was notably enhanced by his tight fitting bodysuit, which showed off his backside in an almost graphic manner. In the upcoming release, his butt is just a complete pancake, barely cupped by the material of his suit. It’s a really sad sight, and feels like a betrayal to the integrity of who Solid Snake is.

But how did something like this happen? A conscious decision on the part of the programmers, sure, but more specifically: How does a bad butt emerge from a once healthy derriere? The Outline reached out to medical director and cosmetic surgeon Dr. BFixin (known as Dr. Scott Blyer) for comment on the tragedy. As a master of butt shaping, he’s seen this kind of disaster many times before. It reminds him of “most of the 70 year old butts [he sees] walking around the locker room at the YMCA.”

He offered a solution for Snake’s rear end issue. “If Solid Snake wanted to get his swag back, he probably would need to gain another 15 pounds, and I would lipo that fat out and inject it into his ass,” he wrote in an email.

The exact medical cause of this change is unclear. “Butts can get smaller with massive weight loss or advanced age, none of which apply to Solid Snake,” he continued. “His muscular tone and projection has disappeared. Squats may help a little but Dr.Bfixin got the sauce for him.”

Dr. B says that “it is an embarrassment to the gaming community.” I have to agree.