Smash Bros. Creator Masahiro Sakurai Quits YouTube With Final Video Teasing Mystery New Game
Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has ended his popular YouTube channel by teasing the upcoming announcement of a mystery new game.
In the final video from the Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games YouTube channel, Sakurai revealed that he received a video game development proposal in July 2021, as he was busy putting together the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Kazuya reveal video as well as DLC character Sora.
Production then began in April 2022, which makes it two-and-a-half years in the making. Sakurai added that, assuming this video game is completed, it should be announced “sooner or later,” though he didn’t say anything more specific.
“I received a request to write a game proposal, which I finished at lightning speed,” he said. “I’m sorry I can’t share more about this project, but assuming we’re able to get it made, it should be announced sooner or later.”
(Sakurai also revealed that until recently, all the footage of him for his channel was recorded two-and-a-half years ago, if you were wondering why he all of a sudden looks older.)
There’s little to go on, but it’s good news for Sakurai’s army of fans who had wondered what he’d do next having wrapped up work on Switch exclusive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate earlier this year. Some even speculated that Sakurai might have retired.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launched in 2018 and Sora arrived as its final expansion fighter in 2021. The Kingdom Hearts character wrapped up an 89 character roster for the game, which includes fighters from The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Banjo Kazooie, Dragon Quest, Persona, Mega Man, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Minecraft, and many more.
Sakurai said in October 2023 he’s not sure where to take Super Smash Bros. next, because “it’s difficult to imagine an increase of this magnitude happening again.”
What might Sakurai’s next game be? Nintendo is preparing to announce its Switch successor console, and there will surely be more Smash Bros. games given the incredible success of Ultimate (34.66 million sales and counting). Perhaps yet another sequel is now in the works, but is Sakurai involved?
Image credit: Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games: Finale Special / YouTube.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
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