Nintendo is experiencing a wave of departures from long-tenured staff, with veteran game director Goro Abe the latest to announce his exit. This follows recent retirements of key figures like Kensuke Tanabe and Hideki Konno, both of whom began their careers with the company in the early days of the NES.
Abe, who spent over 25 years at Nintendo, is best known for his extensive perform on the WarioWare series, having contributed to Wario Land 4 and directing every subsequent WarioWare title, as well as lending his expertise to Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The move reflects a broader trend of experienced creators transitioning out of established game development roles and into academia.
According to a post on X, Abe is leaving Nintendo to accept a position as a professor at Osaka Electro-Communication University. There, he will focus on game and social design and conduct research into game development. “I resigned from Nintendo at the end of February,” Abe wrote. “Starting in April, I will be working as a professor at Osaka Electro-Communication University. My affiliation will be the newly established ‘Game and Social Design Major.’ I plan to engage in research related to games and game production, so I hope to connect with an even broader range of people in various ways than before.”
Abe began his career at Nintendo in 1999 as a programmer within Nintendo R&D1, with his first credited work being on Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance. His departure, alongside those of other Nintendo veterans, signals a potential shift in leadership as the company navigates the evolving landscape of the gaming industry.
