The future of Super Smash Bros. hangs in the balance as Masahiro Sakurai contemplates what's next.
In an interview with Japanese publication Famitsu which IGN has independently translated, Sakurai spoke about the development of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and how it could or couldn't continue without him.
"I’m not thinking about a sequel,” Sakurai told Famitsu following the release of Sora, the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character. And while Sakurai says he was never thinking about a sequel during development, he also "can't say this is definitely the last Smash Bros."
But even if a team decides to develop a new Smash Bros. game, Sakurai admits that he "can't see any way right now to produce Smash Bros. without me."
Super Smash Bros. is Nintendo's ambitious fighting game series that pits iconic Nintendo characters against each other. In recent entries, Super Smash Bros. has brought in famous guest characters like Ryu, Cloud, and most recently Sora.
Nintendo traditionally has had a Super Smash Bros. entry for every one of its major consoles since the Nintendo 64. However, what direction will the series go after the Nintendo Switch's lifecycle? Will there continue to be new entries and characters, or will Ultimate simply be ported over and over again?
For now, though, Sakurai is taking a much-deserved rest.
Just because Sakurai announced the end of his involvement with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. doesn't mean he will stop making other games in the future. He was the designer for Kid Icarus: Uprising on Nintendo 3DS, after all.
For more on the end of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate read about how the final DLC fighter, Sora, eventually made his way into the game.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey
