The fifth instalment in the Super Smash Bros. video game franchise, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, launched back in 2018 and was the biggest instalment to date and only continued to get bigger from there. The fighting game brings together well-known characters and franchises from across the video game sphere, the latest entry in particular bringing back every playable fighter that has ever been included in the series.
In October, the very last post-launch playable fighter was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — that being Sora from, the Disney and Square Enix video game series, Kingdom Hearts. This just begs the question: what's next for Super Smash Bros.?
Well, Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai recently told IGN what's in the work for Super Smash Bros. at the moment; that being nothing at all. The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director even went as far as to caution fans not to get their hopes up that there even will be another instalment.
"I can't really think about future prospects at the moment. If Nintendo decides they want to make another one and offers me the job, that's when I'd start thinking about it. When you say 'returning to the series', it makes it sound like there is going to be another Super Smash Bros. title, but currently, there are no such plans. It would be best not to assume that there will always be another one."
Sakurai went on to say that, even if the franchise were to continue, he may not be majorly involved. "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."
Perhaps concerning to some fans of the series, though it hasn't been that long since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and even less time since the game's life cycle came to an end — with the aforementioned introduction of the final playable character. Super Smash Bros. is one of Nintendo's most popular franchises so it'd be hard to believe that it would just be sitting there gathering dust from now on.