Legendary game creator Masahiro Sakurai has teased his next major project during the finale of his popular YouTube series “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games.” The announcement, made on October 22, 2024, suggests that the creative force behind Super Smash Bros. and Kirby has been quietly developing a new game since 2021.
During the 46-minute farewell episode of his educational gaming channel, Sakurai offered a rare glimpse into his recent work timeline, revealing that he had received a request to write a game proposal in July 2021. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and swift execution, Sakurai completed the proposal with characteristic efficiency, setting the stage for production to begin in April 2022.
The revelation is particularly significant given Sakurai’s storied history in the gaming industry. Since forming Sora Ltd. in September 2005, he has been responsible for some of gaming’s most influential titles, including the groundbreaking Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch, which launched in December 2018 and featured an unprecedented roster of gaming icons in its eight-player battles.
What makes this announcement especially fascinating is how it contextualizes Sakurai’s YouTube channel, which launched in August 2022. The creator explained that the channel, which has served as an invaluable resource for aspiring game developers, was actually conceived during the team assembly phase of his new project. This revelation adds new meaning to the channel’s content, suggesting that while Sakurai was sharing his decades of game development wisdom, he was simultaneously laying the groundwork for his next major creation.
In a surprising disclosure, Sakurai mentioned that most of the channel’s content was filmed approximately two and a half years ago, indicating that he had meticulously planned and prepared his educational content well in advance. This long-term vision and preparation is characteristic of Sakurai’s approach to game development, as demonstrated in his previous works like Kid Icarus: Uprising for Nintendo 3DS, which he created through his studio Project Sora.
While Sakurai remained characteristically cryptic about the specific details of his new project, his statement that the game should be announced “sooner or later” has sparked widespread speculation within the gaming community. Given his track record of creating innovative and genre-defining games, expectations are naturally high for whatever project emerges from this development period.
The timing of this announcement is particularly intriguing, coming at the conclusion of his YouTube series which has garnered significant attention for its detailed insights into game development. The channel, styled after his well-known Mr. Sakurai Presents video presentations, has served as both an educational resource and a bridge between the veteran developer and a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Sakurai’s approach to revealing this information – embedding it within a broader discussion of his YouTube channel’s journey – reflects his thoughtful approach to communication with his audience. Rather than making a grand announcement, he chose to share this development as part of a larger narrative about his recent work and creative process.
The gaming industry now watches with keen interest as one of its most respected creators prepares to unveil his next project. Given Sakurai’s history of innovation and his ability to create games that resonate with both casual and hardcore gamers, his new project could potentially represent another significant milestone in gaming history.
As the gaming community eagerly awaits more details about this mysterious new game, Sakurai’s announcement serves as a fitting conclusion to his educational YouTube series while simultaneously opening a new chapter in his illustrious career. Whatever form this new project takes, it promises to benefit from the same meticulous attention to detail and creative vision that have defined Sakurai’s previous works.
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