Many Pokemon fans will know the name Junichi Masuda, as he's worked on every Pokemon title since Red and Green, as a programmer and song composer, making his way up to director of the series by the time Ruby and Sapphire released. He's been an important part of the franchise, but according to an interview on Pokemon.com, he might be stepping down from his role as director. He already let someone else take the reins for Pokemon Sun and Moon, and their follow up games Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, but has returned to be the lead on the upcoming spinoffs Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. In the interview, he said that it's important to let those that are younger working at Game Freak be able to help move the series in newer and better directions and that this will likely be the last game he works on as a director.

It's important to have the younger generation at GAME FREAK take over the development of Pokémon as a series. I do believe this will probably be, in terms of the main Pokémon RPGs, the last time that I work as the director.

Source

 

[Coto]

It's OK. You have done an insane ammount of work. You have changed the video games industries a bit. Other than that all I can say is thank you for all the work done Junichi Masuda-san.

 

[PikachuPrincess23]

That it's sad news to hear but I understand what he it's saying.

Who knows maybey next Pokemon game for Switch would be better since younger generation it's making the game.

 

[Vieela]

Though Junichi received massive backlash for his recent projects, he's a nice worker overall. He's a great composer and to be fairly honest, i like the game he produced, Sun & Moon. This new game is truly bad, but over the time i see Junichi less of a bad person and more of just someone who tried something new and ended up by failing miserably. He has done quite a lot of nice work. Hope he goes back to the scene in other manners!

 

[Noctosphere]

Thank you for all your work

 

[leon315]

pokemon franchise has abused the same formula for decades, IT'S TIME to give a chance to youngers, we'd like to see new and fresh ideas in pokemon games.

 

[PikachuPrincess23]

I aggre with you on that leon315.

 

[FAST6191]

Does that mean we might see some real changes/new concepts in the games?

 

[Xzi]

Glad he got to come full circle all the way back to a new perspective on gen one. Makes Let's Go a slightly more valuable buy knowing it's his last Pokemon game as director. Will be really cool to see how radical a departure next year's game is from what we're used to with Masuda.

 

[cyndor]

Sounds good to me. I haven't played a pkm game since diamond and pearl so I'm all for shaking it up.

 

[SonicMC]

Very good at the music. Always liked it. His games he directed though; sometimes liked... Others did not. X and y were awesome, black and white not so much.

 

[Noctosphere]

Very good at the music. Always liked it. His games he directed though; sometimes liked... Others did not. X and y were awesome, black and white not so much.

meh same...
Didn't really like BW/B2W2

 

[KingVamp]

Must mean that he isn't directly involved with Gen 8. That said, I'm sure he will give some thoughts and inputs, even if he stops directing Pokemon games.

He's a great composer and to be fairly honest, i like the game he produced, Sun & Moon.

?

He already let someone else take the reins for Pokemon Sun and Moon, and their follow up games Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon,

Glad he got to come full circle all the way back to a new perspective on gen one. Makes Let's Go a slightly more valuable buy knowing it's his last Pokemon game as director.

Still not buying it. lol

 

[BlackWizzard17]

Let the series reboot please

 

[Enryx25]

I hope this means Pokemon 2019 will be directed by someone who can really step up the series.

 

[Deleted User]

Probably a good thing. He's obviously run out of ideas and going backwards in the franchise. Pokemon needs some serious fresh blood to keep going.

 

[FMCore]

I hope this means Pokemon 2019 will be directed by someone who can really step up the series.

Or they could run it into the ground, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[osaka35]

Sun and Moon had a lot of bad decisions made, but it tried a few new things that worked. So...i'm hesitant to see this as a positive thing, but better the risk of success than the guarantee of mediocrity I suppose.

Good for him, though. Hopefully he'll be able to follow some passion of his that we'll be playing in a few years time.

 

[noctis90210]

how can i say this... thanks for the games junichi masuda from pokemon generation 1 to generation 1... :-D

 

[Enryx25]

how can i say this... thanks for the games junichi masuda from pokemon generation 1 to generation 1... :-D

And generation 5