Will Smash ever be this big again? (Nintendo)
The director behind the Super Smash Bros. series appears to be shifting his time to a new project, as he officially wraps up his YouTube channel.
After dishing out game design tips over the past two years on YouTube, Masahiro Sakurai has filmed his final video for his channel.
Sakurai, who is best known for spearheading the Super Smash Bros. series, previously said he would be bringing the channel to a close earlier this year. Now, the end is officially nigh, with Sakurai confirming on Saturday the final episode is in the can.
‘We have finished recording the final episode of the channel,’ Sakurai wrote on Twitter. ‘I think it will be a while before it is released, so please enjoy the regular episodes until then.’
While Sakurai has given no indication as to why he’s ending the channel, he did previously confirm he’s ‘still creating games for the time being’ in a YouTube episode earlier this year.
As you might expect, Sakurai’s decision to end his YouTube exploits has spurred a new wave of speculation around another Super Smash Bros. entry.
Fans have also highlighted job listings for Nintendo projects from December, at Namco Studio 2 and Studio S, who work on the Smash series, which have since been taken down – implying the positions are filled and that work can begin.
While there was no mention of Super Smash Bros. specifically, one listing did refer to the ‘construction of stage specifications’ for ‘side-view action games’, which some believe could be related to Smash in some capacity.
The sales success of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate makes another entry practically inevitable, but the biggest question is whether Sakurai will be involved. Despite claiming he was ‘semi-retired’ in 2022, Sakurai has since suggested work on another Smash game couldn’t happen without him.
‘I mean whatever comes after Smash Bros. Ultimate,’ Sakurai said on his YouTube channel last year. ‘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.
‘You might think that’s a natural stance for someone in my role, but I say so speaking objectively. I feel the same way [former Nintendo president Satoru] Iwata did when we formed the team for Smash Bros. Brawl. At present, we don’t have someone who can simply take the reins…’
He added: ‘Smash Bros. is a massive, important title for Nintendo, so it’s fair to assume there will be another one at some point, but it’s going to take some work to figure out exactly how to make that happen. For my part, I’d like to keep working with Nintendo however I’m able.’
Considering the amount of work that went into 2018’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and its two waves of DLC fighters, the quickest solution for the next title might be an expanded ‘deluxe’ version in the same vein as Mario Kart 8 on Switch – especially with Nintendo’s next console around the corner.
While Nintendo has made no official announcements about its follow-up to the Switch, aside from that it exists, it has said that it won’t feature in its next Nintendo Direct, due sometime this month. That implies Nintendo won’t start talking about it or its games until at least this autumn.
Is it deluxe time? (Nintendo)
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