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

 

[NoNAND]

Welp
Its time i Hamaon myself
(Only SMT fans get this)

 

[Beerus]

thanks for the fun pokemon games man they where a blast

 

[RustInPeace]

He already let someone else take the reins for Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, 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.

FTFY

 

[Dubbicakes]

Thank God. No more of this. =] Thank you Masuda for everything you've done in the past, but your decisions as of late haven't been the best. Still love you.

 

[WiikeyHacker]

So glad i retired from this franchise, before it became too Stale "modern" with that vile cancerous meme talk and trends.

 

[Phenj]

THANK GOD. Nothing GOOD came out of his mouth and hands, NOTHING.

 

[Enryx25]

Welp
Its time i Hamaon myself
(Only SMT fans get this)

I'd rather Mudoon myself tbh

 

[NoNAND]

I'd rather Mudoon myself tbh

I not because i feel "enlightened"

 

[chartube12]

Bet he was fired due to the direction sun/moon and the let’s go games took. Preorders for the let’s go games are the lowest in the series to date has ever had in Japan.

 

[Ericthegreat]

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.

Too bad he doesn't know what gbatemp is, or he knows it as "the place where people steal my game".

 

[pedro702]

so the worse games in the series sun and moon, and ultra sun and ultra moon were because he wasn't in charge of them?

well i guess 2019 pokemon will be crappy again, hours and hours of tutorials and cut-scenes that add little to anything :S

 

[tiamat999]

Optional bosses and use for legendaries finally

 

[DuoForce]

Looks like Pokemon can be good again. About time Masuda stepped down

 

[Pablitox]

THANK GOD. Nothing GOOD came out of his mouth and hands, NOTHING.

Ruby/Sapphire? Firered/Leaf green? Diamond/Pearl? Black/White?

He did a lot of good things for the franchise, wether you acknowledge it or not.

 

[hamohamo]

So that's why i hated sm and usum. Also HOLD THE PHONE FUCKER, WHO'LL MAKE GEN 8?

 

[pedro702]

Looks like Pokemon can be good again. About time Masuda stepped down

he stepped down on sun and moon and ultra sun and ultra moon, and that went to crap worse than any other game...

 

[Arras]

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.

Disagree. BW2 are some of my favorite games in the franchise, while I thought XY had poor pacing (gigantic gap between gym 2 and 3, then everything super close to each other) and that giant city is just a mess. Didn't really like BW1, but BW2 is a big upgrade imo.

 

[noctis90210]

And generation 5

what i mean he started on generation 1 and ended also to a generation 1 but a remake...

 

[SonicMC]

Disagree. BW2 are some of my favorite games in the franchise, while I thought XY had poor pacing (gigantic gap between gym 2 and 3, then everything super close to each other) and that giant city is just a mess. Didn't really like BW1, but BW2 is a big upgrade imo.

Cool, you can like what you like! Do note that BW2 is not listed as one he directed on his Wikipedia page. Not sure what all the differences include between director and producer are though.

 

[pedro702]

the only main game i ever disliked was sun and moon, so if next gen is like sun and moon, i will be pissed.