Super Smash Bros. creator and director, Masahiro Sakurai, has confirmed some bad news about the next game in the series. It has been seven years since the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Nintendo Switch. This is already tied for the biggest gap between releases in the series, and there still isn’t even any sight of Ultimate’s follow up. And now Sakurai has essentially confirmed what Nintendo fans feared, which is that the wait is going to continue for a good while.
Videos by ComicBook.com
During a recent presentation, Sakurai specifically confirmed that the same team at Bandai Namco that assisted him and his development team at Nintendo, Sora, has been helping with the development of Kirby Air Riders, which is what Sakurai has been working on since releasing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and all of its DLC.
When Development on the Next Super Smash Bros. Game Will Begin
Now, we knew Sakurai and his team were focused on Kirby Air Riders, not making a new Super Smash Bros. game, but some Nintendo fans wondered if the Bandai Namco team that worked on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was hard at work on the next installment in the fighting game series. And the answer to this, according to Sakurai, is no because it has also been working on Kirby Air Riders, which isn’t set to release until November 20.
All of this suggests that proper development on the next Super Smash Bros. game has not begun, and won’t until sometime in 2026, depending on how much post-launch support Kirby Air Riders gets, which in turn is likely dependent on how it will sell. It’s not expected to be a big seller though, however, we are very positive on the Switch 2 game’s potential after going hands on with it.
When Will the next Super Smash Bros. release?
For those that don’t know, it took almost three years to make Super Smash Bros. Ultimate once it entered full production. To this end, if the next Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch 2 enters development next year, the earliest the game could be expected would be 2029. However, in the past Sakurai has suggested it’s not clear what direction the game could go in, so pre-production on it may end up taking longer, which in turn may push the game back into the 2030s and push back debates about which characters should and should not make the next roster. All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think.
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Netflix -
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios -
Courtesy of Marvel -
Image Courtesy of DC Studios -
Image courtesy of HBO Max.
