Super Smash Bros. Director Warns Series Is Facing Major Problem

Nintendo’s Masahiro Sakurai has warned Super Smash Bros. fans of a couple of problems the series is facing. The first of these problems is that it sounds like Nintendo doesn’t currently have any ideas on what to do with the series following Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In fact, if you read between the lines of Sakurai’s comments it sounds like development for a new Super Smash Bros. game has yet to begin, despite the five-year anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate approaching. Not only does it sound like a new installment in the series isn’t in the works, but won’t be for a while, as Sakurai notes that “it’s going to take some work to figure out exactly how to make that happen.”

This is in reference to following up Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which as the name suggests, was the “Ultimate” version of a Super Smash Bros. game in the sense it included a massive roster featuring every previous character from every previous game, plus a host of new characters Where do you go from there is a very good question. 

Not only is this question looming over the series, but Sakurai continues to express concern what will come of the series without him, noting that there is currently no one who can take the reigns from him. 

“The question is, what happens next time? I mean whatever comes after Smash Bros. Ultimate,” said Sakurai. “One option would be to separate the series itself from the original creator. But for now, at least, I can’t really imagine a Smash Bros. title without me. You might think that’s a natural stance for someone in my role, but I say so speaking objectively. I feel the same way president Iwata did when we formed the team for Smash Bros. Brawl. At present, we don’t have someone who can simply take the reigns.”

Sakurai continued: “Smash Bros. is a massive, important title for Nintendo, so it’s fair to assume there will be another one at some point, but it’s going to take some work to figure out exactly how to make that happen. For my part, I’d like to keep working with Nintendo however I’m able.”

It remains to be seen what’s next for the Super Smash Bros. series. Some fans have suggested it’s time to reboot the franchise after Ultimate, however, it seems unlikely Sakurai would want to do this while still at the helm. Whatever the case, whatever happens next, it sounds like it’s not happening anytime soon.

H/T, Nintendo Everything.