Masahiro Sakurai has announced the permanent discontinuation of the Game Designers Award after 16 years. Speaking at the Japan Game Awards 2026, the creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros. revealed he could not find a successor to carry on the independent judging tradition.
The End of an Era for Independent Recognition
Established in 2010 by Masahiro Sakurai, the Game Designers Award was created to honor video games based purely on creativity and originality rather than sales figures or public popularity contests. Over the past 16 years, the award served as a vital platform for innovative titles that pushed the boundaries of interactive software. Sakurai confirmed that the accolade will not return for future shows. As told by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) official website, this award recognizes games based on their creativity and originality, looking for titles that incorporate new ideas that are a clear departure from existing works and expand the form of game software by presenting new ways for the user to enjoy and play with the game. The award is ultimately granted to the title that reached out to a wide range of people, including those who don’t usually play games actively, and that made the memorable achievement of the year.
The final game to receive the honor is Word Game, a text-based puzzle project developed by the independent studio Team9. Originally produced with Traditional Chinese characters, the title was successfully localized for Japanese players—a creative technical feat that heavily impressed the judging committee. The panel for this final year featured eleven members of industry veterans, including Hideki Kamiya, Yoko Taro, and Toby Fox.
Why the Search for a Successor Failed
The decision to retire the award was driven by a single logistical bottleneck: a lack of qualified leadership willing to take over the rigorous selection process. Sakurai explained that maintaining the credibility of the award and fulfilling the role requires a sitting director who has come up with innovative games that have changed gameplay a lot.
“It’s been 16 years since we started [this award]. This is the last year that we’re doing it, and the reason is because there’s nobody who’s going to replace me. That is the only reason. In order to keep this award something that is really convincing and fulfills the role, it needs to be given by somebody who’s a director, who’s come up with innovative games that have changed gameplay a lot. I scouted and tried to find someone to replace me. I did some presentations to try to find somebody, too. I searched for a couple years, but nobody stepped up to replace me. There’s a lot of other judges, but none of them were able to pick up the mantle.”
Masahiro Sakurai, Game Creator, via IGN
With no successor found after searching for a couple of years, the 16th and final presentation concludes the history of the award entirely, following key announcements today by CESA Chairman Haruhiro Tsujimoto detailing the Japan Game Awards 2026 events.
Industry Implications and Warnings on Creativity
“Game development is always an experiment, but you keep going at it. It’s always a very difficult process. …Although the Grand Award is always so popular, I think this shows a different side of games. Unfortunately, innovativeness doesn’t always link to profitability. There’s not many people who will always drink the newest version of an interesting drink. You usually go with things you’re used to. It’s always hard for this kind of innovativeness and creativity to be recognized, but if the industry loses creativity and innovation, I think the industry as a whole will slowly die. We always need new discoveries and innovations to keep the industry fresh and alive.”
Photo: IGN
Masahiro Sakurai, Game Creator, via IGN
Leading creators from across the game industry have historically evaluated works from a professional perspective, with a focus on creativity and originality. Sakurai stressed the need for continued innovation in the industry, fearing that an industry without this might slowly die.
Japanese Government Awards Masahiro Sakurai For Pioneering Game Development
