Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has said that the Wii U version of the game will likely be his last.
The creator and director of the series made the admission to Game Informer in the latest issue of their magazine, saying that although Smash Bros. may continue, he will probably not be the one taking the helm.
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“I can’t positively declare there won’t be [another Smash Bros. game],” Sakurai said. “With both Melee and Brawl, I made those games with the thought that there wouldn’t be any more sequels. Thus, I really can’t deny the chance for another.
“However, as for myself, I don’t think there will be.”
Both Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS have been met by a strong critical and commercial reaction, though Sakurai appears to remain cynical over the series’ progression over the years, particularly its increased roster and larger amount of content.
“In terms of scope, and in terms of sheer number of characters, we went beyond our limits long ago,” he said. “And yet, if we cut the number of fighters or modes in a future game, I’m sure there would be complaints.”
The latest Super Smash Bros. featured 51 fighters, the largest roster in the series. The Wii U version also boasted 8-player Smash for the first time ever, along with a slew of other game modes to make it the most feature-packed game in the series. Judging from the comments Sakurai made in the interview, it seems as though the pressure of making a bigger Smash game with each new iteration got to him, which may be the reason behind him potentially stepping down from one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises.
However, the creator has claimed in the past that he would move on from the series, so we may see another Smash Bros. game in the future once again directed by him. We certainly hope so.
