Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has confirmed that in the last three years, he completed a proposal for a brand new, mystery game.
This was revealed during the final episode of Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games on the developer's YouTube channel. After revealing that all of the channel's previous videos had actually been recorded in advance – two and a half years ago, to be exact – he says that in July 2021, when he was working on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's DLC, he "received a request to write a game proposal, which I finished at lightning speed."
But what is it? It seems like that might remain a mystery for now. Sakurai adds: "I'm sorry I can't share more about this project, but assuming that we're able to get it made, it should be announced sooner or later."
Elaborating a little further, Sakurai adds that his commitments to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate were wrapped up in October 2021, at which point he'd "been given the OK to move forward with production" for the mystery game, although "it was going to take some time to assemble the right team." He reveals that "the target timeframe was April 2022," but up to that point, he "would have to wait."
This situation ended up allowing Sakurai a rare break, he says, noting that until then, "I had always gone directly from one job to the next." Despite game directors often having to get ready for their next project before their work on their current one is even over, "by some miracle, my schedule was wide open for several months straight!" Using that time, he started working on his YouTube channel, since he felt it was "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to have that 'break' in the first place.
For now, it seems like we'll just have to stay tuned for whatever Sakurai has in the works – hopefully, like he hints, it won't be too long until we find out. His next game was in active development by August 2022, so things have been moving behind the scenes for just over two years now.
