Speaking in an interview with IGN, Super Smash Bros Ultimate Director Masahiro Sakurai said that there are currently no plans to make a new Super Smash Bros game following the release of Super Smash Bros ultimate.
Sakurai says that “it would be best not to assume that there will always be another one.” and that even if they did make another, it would be unlikely for it to keep the entire roster of Super Smash Bros Ultimate which currently consists of over 80 characters, recently ending its second DLC pass with Sora from Kingdom Hearts being the final character.
“At the very least, I don’t think it would head in a direction where all of the current fighters are kept and the roster continues to expand,” he explained. “I presume that running such a game on a hypothetical new system alone would exceed the game’s budget.”
“However, if we try to keep things fresh by shifting to a different genre or greatly changing the direction, then it’s no longer a Super Smash Bros. game. I can’t deny that making this title so expansive has made it a tough act to follow.”
When asked if he planned to continue working on video games in general, Sakurai said he wasn’t entirely sure about that either.
“Apart from that, I may not necessarily continue with creating more games, as I could potentially go down a different path. As for involvement with the gaming industry, there are various ways to do that. I like to keep an open mind about what I should do and take a look at all the different possibilities.”
As its name implies, Super Smash Bros Ultimate is supposed to be the ultimate version of Super Smash Bros as a concept. When asked if he considered the game to be a success, Sakurai said:
“I believe I was able to fully complete this mission.”
Super Smash Bros Ultimate is available for Nintendo Switch