Another Smash Is Coming, Sakurai Says
The Super Smash Bros. community finally accepted that there would be no new game after Ultimate concluded and Masahiro Sakurai “retired,” but now it looks like another game is a possibility after all.
Sakurai turned to casual content creation after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s DLC and updates finally ended last year, finally getting the rest that the community had begged him to get for the past few years. The guy almost passed out at the gym in 2020 due to exhaustion.
Now, Sakurai is wondering how the series could actually continue without him.
Sakurai Calls on Nintendo to “Figure Out” How to Make a New Smash Game
In his most recent YouTube video, Sakurai started with the origin story of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the future of the series. During the short video, he reiterated his concern over the fighting game franchise continuing without him.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was a massively successful fighting game — even if some in the FGC don’t count it as one. It sold over 31 million copies. Would Smash truly never return? Fans felt there was so much more to explore when it came to balance and DLC.
Apparently, Sakurai feels the same.
In the past, Sakurai said he was unsure if he would ever work on a Smash game again. Now, however, he admitted that the game could probably not continue without his involvement.
And would there be another one? Sakurai said in the latest video that it was “safe to assume” another Smash will come out but it’s all a matter of how Nintendo handles it. He said that it’s “extremely rare” for a game series to continue without its original developers and instead build a new team led by a freelance director.
Said Sakurai: “The question now is, what happens next time? I mean, whatever comes after Smash Bros. Ultimate. One option would be to separate the series from the original creator. But for now, at least, I can’t really imagine a Smash Bros. title without me.”
For this reason, Sakurai said that he will keep working with Nintendo “however I’m able.”
So much for traveling the world with his cat, horseback riding, and all the other retirement plans that Sakurai once spoke of. But the Smash community is not surprised — Sakurai is notorious for working hard and never resting. It would definitely not be shocking if he came out of retirement.
In the past, Sakurai admitted to using an IV drip so he could continue going to work as usual without taking any time off during the development of Ultimate. Near the end, he started leaving by 10 PM to force himself to sleep.
Sakurai’s cat is sure going to miss him when he goes back into the office for the next Smash. Whenever that is.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!