Kirby Air Riders team to disband after final patch, director Masahiro Sakurai encourages players to enjoy the game’s definitive balance.

Masahiro Sakurai has spoken, and it’s official: the development team behind Kirby Air Riders is set to disband after potentially one last update.

Sakurai, the iconic creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., shared his plans for Kirby Air Riders on Twitter, as translated by an outlet. He confirmed that the recently released Ver. 1.2.0 update will likely be one of the final patches before the team moves on to new projects.

“I think we might be able to tweak it one more time,” Sakurai stated, “but after that, please enjoy the balance of the game as a definitive version.” He noted that the team will soon dissolve, focusing on ensuring the game is polished with balance adjustments and bug fixes to keep it enjoyable for years to come.

The Ver. 1.2.0 update brings several enhancements to Kirby Air Riders, such as the option to “try out courses solo in Online Matches during matchmaking,” “improved communication stability during online play,” and various other improvements.

Sakurai has been clear that Kirby Air Riders is intended as a standalone experience; back in October, he candidly remarked, “I’m not planning on making this an ongoing series. I’ve thrown everything I have into this game from the start.” This decision allows him to dedicate more time to the Super Smash Bros. franchise, right?

With Kirby Air Riders now released, fans are humorously speculating about Nintendo’s next move, jokingly suggesting that Sakurai will be called back to work on Super Smash Bros. 6: “Alright. We let you make Air Riders. You know what comes next…”