Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., has announced that the “Game Designers Award” he has hosted since 2010 will officially shut down. The annual award recognized innovative games and developers, with past winners including Fumito Ueda (ICO), Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil), and Toby Fox (Undertale). Sakurai stated that 2026 will be the final year due to difficulties finding a suitable successor to host the award.
Originality Doesn’t Boost Sales — But Without It, The Industry Will ‘Slowly Die’
More notably, Sakurai addressed his long-held belief in creativity and originality. He pointed out that while originality doesn’t directly impact sales, if the entire gaming industry gradually loses its creative spirit, it will ultimately “slowly die.” In other words, a game’s commercial success doesn’t mean creativity is unimportant — in fact, as the market increasingly prioritizes business results, developers need even more space to take risks and try new things.
AAA Games Getting Pricier, But Are We Playing It Too Safe?
Sakurai’s comments come at a time when the AAA gaming landscape faces increasing scrutiny. As development costs rise and publishers lean toward proven formulas, many worry that the industry is prioritizing safe bets over bold innovation. The cancellation of the Game Designers Award itself underscores this concern — without recognition for creative risks, fewer developers may be incentivized to push boundaries.