Legendary Zelda Designer, Takashi Tezuka Announces Retirement

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Takashi Tezuka, a pivotal figure in the development of iconic Nintendo games for over 40 years, has announced his retirement. This news follows the confirmation of a global price increase for the Nintendo Switch 2, which was announced last Friday, August 8th. Tezuka joined Nintendo in 1984 as a part-time employee while completing a design degree at Osaka University of Arts. His early work included designing for the original Super Mario Bros. in 1985, a significant contribution to video game history. Throughout his 42-year tenure, Tezuka played a crucial role in the direction, script, and design of the first The Legend of Zelda, and wrote the script for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. He also personally directed Super Nintendo classics such as Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. More recently, he served as a producer and supervisor for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the Super Mario RPG remake.

Retirement Announcement of Tezuka and Colleagues at Nintendo’s New Fiscal Year, With Super Mario Bros. Wonder as His Final Project

The announcement of Tezuka’s retirement was made during a Nintendo shareholders meeting, marking the beginning of the company’s new fiscal year. He is set to step down from his Executive Officer position on June 26, 2026. Outlets report that while the announcement specified his departure from his current role, Tezuka may be leaving Nintendo entirely. His final project before this transition is Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Alongside Tezuka, Takuya Yoshimura, Katsuhiro Umeyama, and Keiko Akashi will also be retiring from their positions. Pending shareholder approval, Yutaka Takenaga and Chika Saka are slated to assume new roles. It remains unclear whether Tezuka will leave Nintendo completely or transition to a different role within the company.

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