Masahiro Sakurai, director of Kirby Air Riders and legendary creator of both Kirby and Super Smash Bros., confirmed on December 12, 2025 that the development team behind the Switch 2 racing exclusive will disband in the near future. After releasing the Ver. 1.2.0 update, the team will make possibly one more round of balance adjustments before moving on, leaving the game in what Sakurai calls a “definitive version” that can be enjoyed for years without issues.
No DLC, No Ongoing Support
The announcement shouldn’t surprise anyone who followed Kirby Air Riders’ development. In October 2025 during the Air Riders Direct 2 presentation, Sakurai explicitly stated the game would not have DLC or ongoing content updates. He emphasized that everything was included in the game from the start, with no production setup for additional content. This was intentional, he said, throwing everything he had into the game from day one because he wasn’t planning on making it an ongoing series.
In his December 12 Twitter post, translated by Automaton and reported by multiple outlets, Sakurai reiterated this commitment. The development team will disband soon because there’s no infrastructure or plan for continued support. With limited time remaining, the team is focusing on balance adjustments and bug fixes to ensure the game remains playable and enjoyable for years without requiring patches or updates.
This approach stands in stark contrast to modern gaming trends. Most major releases in recent years receive constant patches, balance tweaks, seasonal content, and years of post-launch support. Games like Splatoon 3, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate received regular updates for years after launch. Kirby Air Riders is taking the opposite approach, shipping as a complete product that won’t evolve over time.
The Ver. 1.2.0 Update
Released on December 11, 2025, the Ver. 1.2.0 update represents one of Kirby Air Riders’ final significant patches. According to the official Nintendo website, the update includes several meaningful improvements to the racing experience. Players can now try out courses solo during online matchmaking, addressing complaints about waiting times between races. Communication stability during online play received improvements, reducing disconnections and lag issues that plagued early adopters.
The update also includes numerous balance adjustments to vehicles and gameplay mechanics, though specific details weren’t fully disclosed in patch notes. Bug fixes address various technical issues reported by the community since the game’s November 20, 2025 launch. These changes aim to create the definitive balance Sakurai mentioned, a state where the game feels fair, fun, and polished enough to sustain player interest without developer intervention.
Sakurai indicated there might be one more round of tweaks after Ver. 1.2.0, but cautioned players not to expect much beyond that. Once the team makes this final adjustment pass, Kirby Air Riders will be considered complete. The goal is creating a balance that can be enjoyed without issues even years from now, when the development team has long moved on to other projects.
Community Reaction: Relief and Nostalgia
The response from players has been overwhelmingly positive, which might seem counterintuitive. In an era where gamers often demand constant updates and new content, you’d expect disappointment when a developer announces they’re walking away. Instead, the Kirby Air Riders community expressed relief that the game would be left alone to exist as a complete product.
Kotaku reported that players responded to Sakurai’s announcement by noting they played the original GameCube Kirby Air Ride tirelessly for years with no updates whatsoever. That game launched in 2003 with everything it would ever have, and fans still played it obsessively for over two decades. The simple but addictive gameplay didn’t need seasonal content or balance patches to maintain its appeal.
One player wrote, “This is how it should be,” arguing that it’s natural to play games for a while and then move on rather than expecting them to constantly evolve to hold your attention. This sentiment reflects growing fatigue with live service models that demand continuous engagement and FOMO-driven participation. Sometimes you just want a game you can pick up and enjoy without worrying about missing limited-time events or falling behind on battle pass progression.
What This Means for Future Projects
| Sakurai Project | Development Approach | Post-Launch Support |
|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Base game + DLC characters | Years of updates and content |
| Kirby Air Riders | Complete from day one | Minimal patches, then done |
| Next Smash Bros? | Unknown | Speculation ongoing |
Sakurai’s announcement that the Kirby Air Riders team will disband naturally fuels speculation about his next project. The elephant in the room is whether he’ll direct the next Super Smash Bros. game for Switch 2. Nintendo hasn’t officially announced a new Smash Bros., but the franchise is one of their biggest properties and Switch 2 will almost certainly get an entry eventually.
GamesRadar noted that Sakurai disbanding the Air Riders team will of course fuel more rumors about his involvement in the next Smash Bros. Reddit discussions show fans split on whether they want Sakurai to return to Smash or pursue other creative projects. Some argue he’s earned the right to step away from the franchise he’s directed since the original 1999 N64 release. Others believe only Sakurai understands what makes Smash special and that a new director would compromise the series.
Sakurai himself has expressed willingness to work on another Smash Bros. if asked, according to comments translated from Japanese interviews. However, he’s also discussed exhaustion from the demanding development cycles and expressed interest in exploring new ideas. Kirby Air Riders represented a return to his racing game roots and a chance to work on something besides Smash for the first time in years. Whether he continues pursuing diverse projects or returns to Smash remains unclear.
The Bandai Namco Connection
Kirby Air Riders was developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco, marking an interesting partnership outside of the Super Smash Bros. series where Bandai Namco has served as co-developer since Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U. HAL Laboratory, the traditional Kirby developer, also contributed alongside Sakurai’s Sora Ltd. studio.
Reddit discussions from the game’s announcement noted that Bandai Namco brought technical expertise and resources that allowed Sakurai to realize his vision for Air Riders. The collaboration apparently went smoothly enough that players praised the game’s visuals, performance, and polish on Switch 2 hardware. Some speculated that having Bandai Namco involved meant developers could transition to other Namco projects once Air Riders wrapped up.
The team disbanding is standard practice for contracted game development. Studios assemble teams for specific projects, then reassign personnel once the work concludes. What’s unusual is how transparently Sakurai communicated this process. Most developers don’t publicly announce when development teams disband or move on to new projects. Sakurai’s openness reflects his unique position in the industry and his direct relationship with fans through social media.
A Different Philosophy
Kirby Air Riders’ approach to post-launch support reflects a fundamentally different philosophy than what dominates modern gaming. Live service models prioritize player retention through constant updates, seasonal content, and evolving meta-games. The goal is keeping players engaged and spending money indefinitely. Games become platforms that must continually justify their existence through new content.
Sakurai’s approach treats Kirby Air Riders as a finished product, like games used to be before always-online connectivity and digital storefronts normalized perpetual updates. You buy the game, you get everything, and then you play it until you’re done. No fear of missing out on limited-time events. No pressure to keep up with balance changes that fundamentally alter gameplay. No worrying whether servers will shut down in a few years, rendering your purchase worthless.
This philosophy has pros and cons. The upside is a complete, curated experience that won’t change out from under you. The downside is no new content after launch, which can make games feel stale faster for some players. But as the community response shows, many players appreciate games that exist as discrete experiences you can return to years later and find exactly as you remember them.
Commercial Performance
While Nintendo hasn’t released official sales figures for Kirby Air Riders, the game appears to have performed well enough that the lack of ongoing support isn’t a panic move to cut losses. The Switch 2 launched in June 2025, and Kirby Air Riders released November 20 as one of the platform’s holiday exclusives. Being a first-party Nintendo title from Masahiro Sakurai with strong nostalgia appeal for fans of the 2003 GameCube original positioned it as a system seller.
The decision to not pursue DLC or ongoing content was made during development, not in response to poor sales. Sakurai communicated this plan during the Air Riders Direct presentations before launch, meaning Nintendo approved this approach from the start. They weren’t expecting Kirby Air Riders to become a live service juggernaut – they wanted a polished racing game that showcased Switch 2’s capabilities and appealed to fans of Sakurai’s work.
Some Reddit commenters speculated whether the game sold well enough to justify continued support, but the evidence suggests the lack of updates was always the plan regardless of commercial performance. Unlike games that get abandoned due to poor sales, Kirby Air Riders is being intentionally completed and preserved in its definitive form.
Lessons for the Industry
Kirby Air Riders’ complete-from-launch approach offers lessons for an industry increasingly dependent on live service models. Not every game needs years of post-launch support to succeed. Sometimes delivering a polished, feature-complete experience and letting it stand on its own merits is enough. This is especially true for games with strong core mechanics that don’t require constant novelty to remain engaging.
The racing genre in particular benefits from this approach. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received years of DLC support, but the original Mario Kart 8 on Wii U was considered complete without it. F-Zero GX on GameCube never received updates but remains beloved 22 years later. Good racing games with tight mechanics, varied tracks, and satisfying gameplay loops can sustain player interest through pure quality rather than manufactured engagement hooks.
That said, Kirby Air Riders’ approach won’t work for every game or genre. Competitive multiplayer titles benefit from balance patches that address meta-game issues. Open-world games with massive budgets need DLC to recoup development costs. But for focused, well-crafted experiences targeting specific audiences, the complete-from-launch model deserves consideration as a valid alternative to perpetual updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Kirby Air Riders development team disbanding?
The team is disbanding because the game was always intended as a complete, one-and-done experience without DLC or ongoing support. Director Masahiro Sakurai stated during development that everything would be included from launch. Once final balance adjustments are complete, there’s no work left for the team.
Will Kirby Air Riders get any more updates?
There will likely be one more update after Ver. 1.2.0 for final balance tweaks and bug fixes. After that, Sakurai says the game will be in its definitive version and no further updates are planned.
Is this because Kirby Air Riders sold poorly?
No. The decision to not pursue ongoing support was made during development, not in response to sales. Sakurai announced this plan during the Air Riders Direct presentations before launch, meaning it was always Nintendo’s intention.
Will there be DLC for Kirby Air Riders?
No. Sakurai has repeatedly stated there are no plans for DLC, additional content, or ongoing updates beyond initial balance patches. The game was designed as a complete experience from day one.
Does this mean Masahiro Sakurai is working on the next Smash Bros?
Unknown. The Air Riders team disbanding naturally fuels speculation about Sakurai’s next project, but neither he nor Nintendo has announced anything. Sakurai has expressed willingness to work on another Smash Bros. if asked, but also interest in pursuing other creative projects.
When did Kirby Air Riders release?
Kirby Air Riders launched exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 on November 20, 2025. It’s developed by Bandai Namco, HAL Laboratory, and Sora Ltd., published by Nintendo.
How did fans react to the team disbanding?
Mostly with relief and approval. Many players noted they played the original GameCube Kirby Air Ride for years without updates and appreciated games that exist as complete products rather than requiring constant support to remain relevant.
What’s in the Ver. 1.2.0 update?
The update includes the ability to try courses solo during online matchmaking, improved online communication stability, various balance adjustments to vehicles and mechanics, and bug fixes. It’s one of the final significant patches the game will receive.
The Bottom Line
Kirby Air Riders represents an increasingly rare approach in modern gaming: ship a complete product, make a few final tweaks, then walk away and let it exist on its own merits. Masahiro Sakurai’s transparency about the development team disbanding and the game entering its definitive form reflects his unique relationship with fans and his commitment to delivering experiences rather than services.
Whether this approach succeeds long-term depends on how well the game holds up without continued support. The positive community response suggests many players appreciate games that don’t demand constant engagement or fear of missing out. If Kirby Air Riders maintains an active player base years from now without updates, it will validate Sakurai’s philosophy and potentially influence how other developers approach post-launch support.
For now, Kirby Air Riders stands as a counterpoint to live service dominance. It’s a racing game that knows what it is, delivers on its promises, and trusts players to enjoy it without manufactured longevity mechanics. Sometimes that’s all a game needs to be. As Sakurai said, please enjoy it as the completed balance. After one final patch, what you see is what you get, and for many fans, that’s exactly what they wanted.