Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto says he’s taking a backseat from Mario development

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Shigeru Miyamoto, the famous creator behind Mario, has announced he’s taking a less active role in the day-to-day development of Mario games. He’s confident in handing over more responsibility to a new generation of developers.

In a recent interview with Casa Brutus, a Japanese publication, 72-year-old Nintendo creator Shigeru Miyamoto discussed his evolving position within the company and what the future holds for Mario. VGC translated the interview from Japanese.

Miyamoto explained that he now relies on a team to help develop Mario games, but he still personally plays the first half-hour of each new title to ensure it captures the authentic Mario experience.

Miyamoto is stepping back from Mario series

Miyamoto first expressed a desire to shift his role back in 2015, explaining he wanted to help train younger team members and allow new developers to take the lead on major projects like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. His recent statements are the strongest indication yet that he’s now primarily focused on mentoring, rather than directly creating games.

With rising talents like Yoshiaki Koizumi and Takashi Tezuka now leading creative efforts, Shigeru Miyamoto is increasingly acting as a mentor and advisor. However, he’s still heavily involved with the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie, created by Illumination, which is set to premiere in theaters on April 3, 2026.

I’m so excited! Miyamoto says the new movie is shaping up to be a blast, and they’re almost done with production. He’s keeping the details close to the vest, but he did say the setting is…the galaxy! Seriously, the galaxy! He seems really confident about it, saying he works on things until he has fun with them, and he feels that’s happening now. That’s a great sign, right? I can’t wait to see it!

Currently, Miyamoto is still working on Mario projects, like the next movie, but he’s also concentrating on making sure the heart and soul of the Mario series lives on after he steps back.

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2025-11-10 18:48