Back when Smash Bros. Brawl came out, Sakurai said it was probably going to be the last entrant in the series. However, Smash 4 was announced and we got one more outing, proof that Nintendo will probably milk this franchise every generation. However, even if they do Sakurai probably won’t be a part of it.
“I can’t positively declare there won’t be [another Smash Bros. title].” Sakurai said in an interview with Game Informer, realizing that he probably can’t make the same claim he did when Brawl came out. “With both Melee and Brawl , I made those games with the thought that there wouldn’t be any more sequels. Thus, I really can’t deny the chance for another. However, as for myself, I don’t think there will be.”
According to Sakurai, Smash has already grown far beyond its scope. He says it’s unlikely that they can make the roster smaller in subsequent entries without making people upset. They have provided so much content in this time around he has a hard time seeing them outdo themselves. This puts the game in a difficult place because fans will demand more every year.
Sakurai has been one of the most dedicated developers out there when it came to finishing his project. He worked through a very complicated arm injury in order to get Smash Bros. done. He has routinely said that game development is stressful and takes a toll on your social life. Yet he continued to work on Smash till the end.
Still, his vision of Smash was a game that anyone could play regardless of skill level, and even though a lot of changes have been made to even the playing field for experts and casuals alike, the game has become extremely polarizing. So I wouldn’t blame him if he decided to work on other projects instead. Actually, maybe Smash will start evolving in more interesting ways without him. Only time will tell.
Source: Game Informer