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Junichi Masuda, co-founder of Game Freak and a key figure in creating Pokémon, has left to join The Pokémon Company.
Masuda was the managing director at Game Freak, and he left the studio as of May 31st. He has been involved in almost every game the developer has done. He helped with the programming on the original Red, Green, and Blue games, and composed music for them.
In a statement (via VGC), Matsuda said:
“I would like to express my heart-felt thanks to all Pokémon fans.
“Going forward, I hope to transcend the boundaries of video games by trying to offer greater surprises, fun and excitement to people all over the world, while doing my utmost to connect people, expand the circle of ‘play’ and to help bring about a richer world for us to share. I appreciate your continued support in my new role.”
The Pokémon Company also spoke about the move. It said that Masuda “will utilise his deep understanding of the Pokémon brand to develop new services and products … tapping into his years of experience and creative thinking.”
The most recent game in the series was Pokémon Legends: Arceus. That game was an intriguing change of direction for the series. It featured a hub-based open-world approach, and it took place in the distant Poké-past.
READ MORE: check out our Pokémon Unite Tier List right here, updated this month.
