Some iconic games and franchises are influenced so much by one individual that they begin to become associated with that person for a lot of fans. For the Soulsborne series, director Hidetaka Miyazaki is often accredited as coming up with a lot of what the series is known for. For Metal Gear and Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima is given that praise and for the Super Smash Bros. franchise, fans have thanked series creator Masahiro Sakurai for his work for years.
Since the first Super Smash Bros. game released in 1999, Sakurai has been heavily involved in the work that goes into creating each entry into the acclaimed series of platform fighters. For the most recent title, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sakurai has hosted many personal presentations, revealing coming changes and DLC fighters being brought into the game's enormous roster. Also, he has been posting daily screenshots from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate since December 2019. Now, nearly three years later, those screenshots have come to an end.
This was announced by Sakurai on his Twitter account, showing off the last screenshot he grabbed from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which shows a Smash Ball hovering high above the Battlefield stage. Sakurai simply states that this picture concludes the daily screenshots, with a thanks to the reader for their support underneath. Then, he comments that he has "been thinking about starting something new." Th tweet caused immediate speculation across the internet, as many tried to figure out what Sakurai meant by "something new."
It appears that the most likely answer is that Sakurai is only confirming he will soon start a replacement for the daily Super Smash Bros. screenshots. As Sakurai states he's only been "thinking" about starting something new, it seems unlikely that he is confirming another title through this tweet. It could be that Sakurai will show more of his gaming setup, something he has displayed recently online. Still, that hasn't stopped the internet from theorizing what else Sakurai could mean by "something new." Of course, some have taken this to mean that a new Super Smash Bros. could be on the way.
While it would be exciting to see the announcement of a new Super Smash Bros. game, and it has been nearly four years since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate released, Sakurai has previously confirmed in December 2021 that no such title is in the works. Things could have changed in the months since Sakurai made that statement, but it seems that fans should keep their expectations in check, at least for the time being.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
