In an interview with the Japanese gaming publication Denfaminicogamer (translated into English by PushDustIn), the popular game designer Masahiro Sakurai has confirmed that he is semi-retired. According to PushDustIn's translation, "He is 52 after all. When Smash for 3DS / Wii U and Ultimate he spent 9 years in active development. Sakurai felt that if he is just continuously making games full time, his life will be over before he realizes it."

Other pieces of information that the creator of the Super Smash Bros. and Kirby franchises divulged in the interview include the development of his YouTube channel, descriptions of his current-day life, and his thoughts on the current gaming landscape. Although Sakurai has maintained the potential for there to be additional titles in his franchises moving forward, it's clear that the devlopment of so many high-profile games for so long has been exhausting for him. 

The game developer has maintained a steady presence in the public eye since finishing development on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and has grown a popular YouTube channel that began earlier in the year.  The channel, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games, “reflects on his work in the games industry and offers insightful and easy-to-understand advice about game development”. The channel is translated into both Japanese and English, with their collective subscriber count reaching one million. 

Sakurai is one of the greatest and most famous game designers in the world. Kirby and Super Smash Bros. have grown into two of the most popular video game franchises — both spanning multiple decades. He has developed other titles as well, with some of his most famous being the Nintendo DS game Meteos, as well as the Nintendo 3DS title Kid Icarus: Uprising. His most recent title finished was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which was originally released in 2018.