Over the course of its run, the “Creating Games” YouTube series with Masahiro Sakurai has been a true delight to watch. While it may not have been a series that raked in “millions of views” with each episode, that was never the point or intention. Sakurai simply wanted to reveal his views on the gaming space, creation, and how even the tiniest of details can lead to great results or even better game quality. However, as he noted earlier in the year, the channel will soon end. Today, Sakurai went to his Twitter page to note that the ending is coming soon and that a “special finale” will join it!
The first “final episode” will arrive on October 15th, or close to it. However, Sakurai noted that a “special finale” would soon follow, and that has everyone curious about what it will be.
Naturally, this is leading to speculation that Masahiro Sakurai will use these final episodes not only to wrap up his general thoughts on game design and development but also to tease what his future is within the gaming industry itself.
In the past, he’s noted that he’s “semi-retired,” which would explain why he had the time to make this YouTube series in the first place! However, there have been hints and signs that Sakurai was stopping the series so that he could go back into developing video games with Nintendo, including possibly jumping back into the Super Smash Bros or Kid Icarus franchises! While those do sound a bit “random,” Sakurai hinted in certain videos that he wanted to go back to them, and in the case of the fighting franchise, he felt that the series couldn’t go on without him.
After all, they tried that, and it failed so badly that he was roped back in to making the “ultimate one.”
Then, there is the speculation that Sakurai is needed in game development because Nintendo is working on its next console, and it wants to ensure that it has all its best teams and people, including Sakurai, working on something that will elevate the system within its first few years.
That’s not a selfish request, as Sakurai has been a part of numerous systems across Nintendo’s history, including many games on handheld Nintendo platforms.
All of this is just speculation, but Sakurai wouldn’t simply tease a “special finale” if it wasn’t going to include something truly special. Then again, maybe Sakurai will pull a swerve and do something no one expects. With him…it’s hard to tell.