Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has addressed his potential retirement, stating that he’s still working at “full throttle.” The Super Smash Bros series debuted on N64 in 1999, and it quickly became a major franchise for Nintendo. Since then, every Nintendo home console has featured a Super Smash Bros. game in some form, and 2014 even saw the first fully portable entry released on the 3DS.
The most recent entry in the series is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which debuted on Nintendo Switch in 2018. The game was supported with DLC through 2021, culminating with Sora from Kingdom Hearts as the final playable character. The game has seen occasional updates to address balance issues and bugs in the years since, but nothing in terms of significant new content. Sakurai suggested that he was “semi-retired” in 2022, leading to questions about the future of the Super Smash Bros. series.
Sakurai Touches on Retirement Plans
That retirement proved to be short-lived, as Sakurai returned to direct Kirby Air Riders. The game’s announcement and subsequent release led to more questions about Sakurai’s retirement plans, and the director addressed the topic in an interview with Famitsu (translated by Genki_JPN). Sakurai confirmed that he hasn’t slowed down, with the only question being: “when will my spirit break?” Sakurai has been open about the toll that development has had on his health at times, but he seems to still have a lot of passion for creating new games.
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Kirby Air Riders‘ main development team disbanded in 2025, which means full development has ended on the Nintendo Switch 2 game. There were never plans in place to provide the game with DLC characters or extra stages, but it does continue to see balance updates and occasional in-game events. That means whatever Sakurai is working on is something else entirely. A Super Smash Bros. game has yet to be announced for Nintendo Switch 2, but it seems likely that something is in the works, given Sakurai’s history with the series.
Several original Switch games have received updates on Nintendo Switch 2, including titles such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 3. In some cases, these updates seem designed to help tide fans over until a new game is released in that specific series. Nintendo has been completely silent when it comes to Super Smash Bros., however. It’s possible that a whole new game is in development at the moment, or there could be a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition planned for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The addition of new stages, characters, and improved graphics might be more than enough to satisfy many Switch 2 owners.
Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing what Sakurai has planned. The director has earned a stellar reputation over the years, and fans are always eager to see what he’s working on next. Rumors about Super Smash Bros. on Switch 2 have been circulating since the system was announced, and Sakurai’s decision to continue working will likely result in even more speculation. There’s no telling what might be in store, though. It’s even possible that the director is working on something else entirely, just as he did with Kirby Air Riders. Nintendo has always been a tight-lipped company, and fans will just have to wait until something is officially announced.
- Released
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December 7, 2018
- ESRB
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E for Everyone: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Suggestive Themes
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
