The future of Super Smash Bros. could be set to change in a major way with series Director Masahiro Sakurai reportedly considering early retirement.
A report of this news was first shared online by ryokutya2098 before being translated by VGC, where Sakurai shared his thoughts in a recent column for Japanese Video Game magazine Famitsu.
According to the excerpts, Sakurai has been thinking about his life after developing video games and the possibility of early retirement.
Ryokutya, who has a track record of accurately reporting excerpts of the magazine early, claims that Sakurai wrote: “Everything must come to an end… It’s better to stay busy and do my best, as long as I can put up with it.”
Also in the report, Sakurai shares that he plans to finish writing his regular Famistu column at the time Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s DLC comes to an end.
While Sakurai may be set to conclude his work writing for Famitsu, according to ryokutya, Sakurai explains that it doesn’t mean he will stop working on video games at the same time.
The idea of Sakurai retiring has been suggested in the past after the developer shared his experience during the development of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, having to use an IV to return to work “as normal” instead of taking time away from the project. This news concerned fans who feared for his health.
Right now, Sakurai has yet to speak publicly about retirement. We can expect a full translation to surface with the release of the column later this week, which should provide some further insight into his thoughts.
