Super Smash Bros director Masahiro Sakurai believes that game development as we know it is no longer sustainable and thinks generative AI may be the only way forward.
In a new interview with Yahoo Japan, the legendary developer sounded the alarm on the state of modern game production, warning that the current methods of building large-scale titles are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
“To be honest, it’s hard to see what the future holds,” Sakurai admitted in a translation provided by Source Gaming.
“I think we’ve reached a point where creating large-scale games like we do now is too time-consuming and unsustainable.”
Sakurai’s comments echo a growing sentiment in the industry, as triple-A development budgets balloon and teams stretch into the hundreds. At the same time, indie games from small creators are gaining momentum. For instance, one of 2025’s biggest successes, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, was put together by a relatively small team of around 30 devs.
Sakurai says game companies need to use AI to “survive”
According to Sakurai, there needs to be some sort of change, and the only thing he can think of is the use of AI.
“I feel that things can’t continue this way,” the Smash creator continued, “but the only effective solution I can think of at the moment is generative AI.”
Sakurai didn’t elaborate on specific use cases, but generative AI has already shown promise in streamlining everything from asset creation and animation to QA and dialogue scripting. While controversial, these tools could help reduce the burden on human developers, something Sakurai says is essential for survival.
“We are at a stage where we must change our methods,” he said, “such as by using generative AI to improve work efficiency. It seems that only companies that can adapt well to these changes will survive in the coming era.”
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