Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai will only retire when he feels his “spirit break”

Masahiro Sakurai says he is not considering retirement while people still want him to make games and he believes he can meet that demand. His comments highlight the pressure behind his continued work, even as he acknowledges that the pace is taking a physical toll.

At the Famitsu 40th Anniversary Festival, Sakurai said he is still working “at full throttle” and wondered when his “spirit” might break, while conceding that maintaining this workload is not advisable. He reports that his eyesight tires more easily and has previously worked through calcific tendonitis. His next project has not been confirmed; he has also stepped down from the Game Designers Award after 16 years because no successor could be found.