Super Smash Bros. finally has a tiny new update, and it’s finally some good news. Many Super Smash Bros. fans expected the next game to already be out on Nintendo Switch 2, or at the very least announced and on the way, or at least this was the expectation at some point before it was revealed that creator Masahiro Sakurai and his team took a break from the franchise in order to develop and release Kirby Air Riders in 2025. When this was revealed, it became clear that the next Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch 2 was still a ways off. And this was a very painful realization. It’s already been a series-record wait. It’s been eight years since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and it looks like the wait will extend into double digits.
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The longer the wait goes on, the more concerned fans have grown that Masahiro Sakurai, who isn’t just the creator, but the creative director of the series, will retire. After all, Sakurai is 56 years old, and certainly has enough money and legacy to retire whenever he wants. Meanwhile, Sakurai has revealed in the past how tired he’s become, and how, in particular, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate left him exhausted and with no idea where to take the series next or how to top it. In short, he was burned out, which is a big reason why he took a break from the IP and made Kirby Air Riders.
It’s not been a good few years for Super Smash Bros. fans who have had their expectations dashed and replaced with worries that Sakurai may be done with the series, and even done with video game development altogether. The good news is he’s not. Per Famitsu, Sakurai recently revealed he’s still working at “full throttle” and does not have his mind on retirement while there is still demand for him to work, with the caveat that he remains capable of delivering on said demand. In other words, he’s not retiring anytime soon. Meanwhile, Sakurai did confirm he’s working on something new, but obviously can’t reveal what it is. It is almost certainly the next Super Smash Bros. game, though.
Last Super Smash Bros. Game From Sakurai?
While it seems like Super Smash Bros. fans will get another game out of Sakurai, two seems increasingly unlikely. In the same interview, Sakurai acknowledges he’s not sure how much longer he can go like this, so while retirement is not on his mind, it doesn’t mean this won’t rapidly change. From the sound of it, Sakurai is going to develop games until he can’t, but this point may come sooner rather than later.
For those who don’t know, being a creative director on a series like Super Smash Bros. is exhausting. It’s very long hours and high stress for someone in his age demographic. To this end, we wouldn’t be shocked if this new game reboots the series and then Sakurai hands it off. In the meantime, we have a new rumor claiming to reveal the game’s roster, or at least some of it.
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Courtesy of Rockstar Games
