Nintendo has announced the retirement of legendary developer and executive director Takashi Tezuka. He will officially leave the company on June 26, 2026, after spending 42 years at Nintendo.
Tezuka’s departure is not connected to any controversy or internal issues. The developer recently turned 65, which is considered the standard retirement age within Nintendo.
Takashi Tezuka played a major role in Nintendo’s history as the game director of iconic titles such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. His latest major project was Super Mario Bros. Wonder, where he worked as a producer.
Nintendo is gradually going through a generational shift, with veteran developers handing over responsibilities to younger staff. Among the longtime figures still at the company are The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma, composer Koji Kondo, and Yoshio Sakamoto, the director of Super Metroid. The biggest star of Nintendo remains Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, and Pikmin, who continues to work at the company as an executive advisor at the age of 73.
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