Sakurai ends his adventure on YouTube, what can we expect from the future of the creator of Kirby and Smash Bros?

Everything that begins must have an end. It is the destiny of all things. Including tremendously successful YouTube channels, from one of the most important creators in the history of video games. Because even the things that can be taught about how to make a video game have an end. Although something tells us that Masahiro Sakurai could still teach us much more.

Masahiro Sakurai has announced that his video game design series will end on October 15th. This has taken everyone by surprise, as no one expected him to end this project, outside of video games.

He created his video game channel, named Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games, in August 2022. With subtitles in Japanese and English, aiming to reach a global audience, his purpose with this series of essays has always been “to make video games a little more fun”. He attempted this by making videos explaining specific aspects of video game development, aiming to teach both players how video games are made and developers how to make better video games.

With 265 videos so far, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games is one of the largest and best sources of knowledge about video games in all possible aspects. Mainly discussing design, but also sound, work ethic, graphics, and other aspects related to development, Sakurai has aimed to analyze all the aspects that make a video game interesting. He usually takes Nintendo video games as examples, a company he has worked for over 35 years. Therefore, it is the company with which it is easiest to obtain permissions to showcase their games.

Although the series is coming to an end, this does not mean that anything will be lost. The videos will remain available for anyone who wants to watch them, serving as a sort of archive on video game development. Additionally, at an unspecified later date, there will be a special final episode that Sakurai has not yet clarified what it will be about.

This is a sad news because it is difficult to imagine a person more qualified to talk about design and work in the video game industry than Masahiro Sakurai. Creator of the Kirby and Super Smash Bros franchises, having designed Meteos, one of the best Tetris-inspired puzzle games of all time, and having directed Kid Icarus: Uprising, one of the most brilliant games on the Nintendo 3DS, he is a person who has proven to be a privileged mind in everything related to video games.

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Those who know him also always highlight his keen eye, his interest in getting involved at all levels in every project he is part of, and his passion for video games. Because in addition to being a designer, he is an avid gamer who, when not working, always tries to find time to play, whether it’s the latest releases or classics he wants to revisit. Demonstrating not only an enviable work ethic but also a true passion for the medium.

That is why it is a shame that Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games is ending. And that it is considered one of the most reliable and high-quality sources for learning everything related to making video games. Since its creator is an expert in all areas of the field.

What the future holds for Sakurai himself is something we do not know. He created Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games precisely to step away from video game development, needing a break from it. But he himself admitted from the start that it was a break, not a farewell. Therefore, while some fear that this might mean it’s time for Sakurai’s retirement, the reality is that he probably already has another project underway. And it cannot be ruled out that it is a video game.

That is what many people have wanted to read when Sakurai announced that there will be a special final episode on the channel. Wanting to understand that he will announce in that video what he is currently working on and, probably, that he will make the announcement of a new video game there. And while the first is likely, the second is not. If Sakurai makes a special video and talks about his new project, it is either something outside of video game development, or he will do it once it has already been announced. It is very unlikely that Nintendo, or any other company, would allow him to reveal his next project in this way.

Not when we talk about Masahiro Sakurai. A name with as much weight in the Japanese industry as Hideo Kojima or Shigeru Miyamoto, even if he is not as well-known among the general public. Because whatever he works on next, one thing is certain: it will attract the attention of millions of people worldwide. Something that is a sure value.

What will that something be? We don’t know. It is prudent to rule out, barring a major surprise, that it is his return to the Kirby saga, from which he no longer even serves as an assistant, or that he will return to direct a new Super Smash Bros, of which he said Ultimate would be the last one he would work on. Beyond that, all possibilities are open with Sakurai. It is certain that it will be something related to video games, but beyond that, everything seems possible. Because that’s the best thing about Sakurai: he always finds a way to surprise us. Both inside and outside of his games.

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