Bandai Namco Announces Nintendo Development Team

Nintendo and Bandai Namco have a long history working together on projects. The publisher has helped develop some of Nintendo Switch's biggest games, including titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. After years of collaborations, Bandai Namco has now made things a bit more formal, officially naming the development team Studio 2 & Studio S. According to the team's official website, Studio 2 & Studio S will continue to serve on contracted projects, and it seems likely these will continue to be partnerships with Nintendo; the website proudly showcases the company's Nintendo published games, including titles like ARMS, Mario Sports Superstars, and Mario Kart Tour. 

At this time, Studio 2 & Studio S consists of 152 employees. It's unclear what the team will be working on next, but the fact that Bandai Namco has formally given the studio its own name and identity should bode well for the future! 

Bandai Namco and Nintendo

The relationship between Bandai Namco and Nintendo has proven to be a fruitful one for Nintendo for decades now. The two companies seemed to form a closer bond in the GameCube era, when Nintendo announced the Triforce arcade board with Sega and Namco. This led to the release of multiple Mario Kart arcade games developed by Namco, which often featured guest characters from the company, including Pac-Man and Tamagotchi. From there, Namco also began developing Nintendo published games like Star Fox Assault and the Donkey Konga series. 

The Future of Mario Kart and Smash Bros.

One of the biggest questions among Nintendo fans at the moment is what will come next for Mario Kart and the Super Smash Bros. series. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has not received new content since Sora was released as the final DLC fighter back in 2021. Similarly, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe recently released its final wave of content as part of the Booster Course Pass DLC. Rumors have suggested that a new Nintendo system will release in the second half of 2024, and if that does prove to be the case, there's a strong chance that a new Mario Kart and a new Smash Bros. game will follow shortly after. 

A new Mario Kart is basically guaranteed, but the future of Super Smash Bros. is a lot less clear. Director Masahiro Sakurai considers himself "semi-retired" at the moment, and there has been no indication that he has started work on a new game in the series. Super Smash Bros. is a very important franchise for Nintendo, and has seen a release on every one of the company's home consoles since N64. If a new game in the series does release within the next few years, there's a very strong possibility that Studios 2 & Studio S will be closely involved. 

Are you happy with Nintendo and Bandai Namco's collaborations? Do you think we'll see a new Mario Kart and Smash Bros. in the near future? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Video Games Chronicle]