Masahiro Sakurai says retirement becomes a question when demand or the ability to meet it fades. For now, he says he’s still working.
Masahiro Sakurai created the Super Smash Bros. franchise and several Kirby games. He’s a staple of Nintendo creativity, but as time goes on, more and more Nintendo veterans are talking about potential retirement and the next generation tasked with carrying on the legacies of the franchises they created.
Is Masahiro Sakurai Retiring? His Latest Views Explained
So, is Masahiro Sakurai retiring anytime soon? It does not appear that way. In a recent Famitsu interview, Sakurai discussed his current views on retirement.
He admitted he considers several factors, including current demand for his skill set and his ability to keep up with it. For now, though he knows everything must end eventually, Sakurai says he can still work very hard. Still, he admitted that he is experiencing a “decline” in various parts of his body.
”Work is coming in now (there is demand),” so “the only question is when will my spirit break?” But that doesn’t mean that “it’s okay to keep repeating this,” he says, and he also thinks that “it’s definitely not.” This is because “people have to change stages.”
As it stands, no new Super Smash Bros. game has been released in nearly a decade. The last announced Smash Bros. game was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch.
That game featured every character that had ever appeared in previous games in the series, plus dozens of new ones. For now, no one knows when the series will announce its next game or who will lead it.
What do you think of Sakurai’s retirement comments? Sound off about this story and all others in our official Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, read our recent story on the future of Nintendo remakes. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
I'm Robert DeFelice. I spent years covering pro-wrestling industry for outlets such as Fightful. After years in wrestling journalism, I’ve transitioned to video games, another passion of mine.
More from Robert DeFelice
Comments