Masahiro Sakurai has confirmed that he’s “semi-retired.” Fans speculated that the creator of Kirby and Smash Bros. would retire after development concluded on Smash Ultimate. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case to an extent, but Sakurai is continuing to share his game design wisdom with his recently launched YouTube channel.
Sakurai semi-retires from game development after two decades in the industry
Speaking with Denfamico Gamer, Sakurai confirmed that he is semi-retired from the game industry. However, he said that his YouTube channel, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games, is a way to stay connected and pass on his knowledge.
Sakurai said that when developing Smash Bros. Ultimate, he realized he didn’t have much time left. He’s 52 years old, and his biggest concern is that game development has gotten so lengthy that he’s afraid if he sticks with it, his life will be over in no time.
It seems as though Sakurai is keen to try new experiences, as he says even the YouTube channel is a project he intends to complete quickly. He considers the end of Smash Bros. Ultimate development to be a milestone. However, he doesn’t elaborate on what his next move is outside of his YouTube channel.
Regardless, we wish him the best in his future endeavors.
