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Japan Game Awards' Game Designer Award reportedly ending with no successor for Sakurai

Masahiro Sakurai said he searched for a new panel leader for a few years, including among fellow judges, but found no replacement, according to a user's account.

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11 Sources, 15d ago, first seen 15d ago

TLDR

The Japan Game Awards' Game Designer Award is ending because Masahiro Sakurai could not find someone to take over, according to two users relaying his comments. He said he had started the award 16 years earlier and spent a few years seeking a replacement, even among the other judges. The role required a director capable of coordinating with peers such as Hideki Kamiya, Fumito Ueda and Suda51, one account says.

Combined views

25.6M

11 Sources, first seen 15d ago

163K likes591 comments17K saves20.3K reposts

Combined views

25.6M

11 Sources, first seen 15d ago

163K likes591 comments17K saves20.3K reposts

Sentiment

Positive82.1%17.9%Negative

Summary

Many accounts praised Sakurai’s Game Designers Award and his warnings on industry originality, while some criticized the award ending or disagreed with his views on innovation.

Based on 119 sentiment-bearing replies from 95 accounts across 6 conversations.

Sentiment

Positive82.1%17.9%Negative

Summary

Many accounts praised Sakurai’s Game Designers Award and his warnings on industry originality, while some criticized the award ending or disagreed with his views on innovation.

Based on 119 sentiment-bearing replies from 95 accounts across 6 conversations.

11 Sources

@famitsuゲームデザイナーズ大賞16年間の歴史に幕 桜井氏「やめる理由は、私の代わりがいなかったから」 https://www.famitsu.com/article/202609/87936 ゲームデザイナーズ大賞は独創性をテーマにした賞。独創性のあるゲーム作品を作っているクリエイターを集めて、作品を評価して、壇上に立って受賞したゲームを紹介する。……ということができる、代わりのクリエイターがいなかったという。
@livedoornews【理由】桜井政博氏「私の代わりがいなかった」今回で16年間続いたゲームデザイナーズ大賞は終了 https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/32332779/ 登壇した桜井氏は「独創性みたいなものを失った業界はゆっくりと死んでいくだけ」と話し、ゲーム業界が数多くの人々の独創性などで成り立っているとコメントした。
@Stealth40kSakurai said the Game Designer Award is being retired at the Japan Game Awards because he couldn't find anyone to replace him. It would take a Director capable of coordinating with other Directors like Hideki Kamiya, Fumito Ueda, Suda51 and others, but nobody could be found.
@aitaikimochiThe Japan Awards 2026 has had a special "Game Designers Award" every year for the past 16 years where Sakurai Masahiro brings together a group of game creator judges to decide on a game that exemplifies game design excellence. However, this year marks the last year of this award. When asked why Sakurai will not be continuing the award, he replies "there is simply no one else to replace me." He mentioned that he searched for years to find someone else who has the capacity to gather groundbreaking directors to be the judges as well as stand on stage to present this award, but he could not find anyone to fill the role.
@Genki_JPNMasahiro Sakurai says the reason the "Game Designers Award" is ending is because there was no one to replace him! He said he started the award 16 years ago and has been searching for a few years to find someone to replace him, even among the other judges but he couldn't find someone to replace him as the leader of the panel.
@MikeyNohMoreEverytime I've read what other Japanese game devs say about Sakurai, it always sounds like the Apostles talking about Jesus.
@AUTOMATON_ENGMasahiro Sakurai discontinues Game Designers Award after 16 years after failing to find a successor, warns fellow devs that an industry without originality “will die a slow death” The last game to receive the award was Word Game by Team9 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/masahiro-sakurai-discontinues-game-designers-award-after-16-years-after-failing-to-find-successor-warns-fellow-devs-that-an-industry-without-originality-will-die-a-slow-death/
@IGNMasahiro Sakurai revealed that the Game Designers Award won’t return to the Japan Game Awards, as he has failed to find an adequate replacement to take up his mantle. https://bit.ly/4cP9jhD
@Sora_Sakurai壇上では話が長くなるので端折ったのですが… 毎年敏腕ゲームディレクターの方々に審査をお願いするのが非常に申し訳ないと思っておりました｡ みんな作り手なので｡ ｢他の作品を評価するぐらいなら､自分で斬新な作品を作れよ!｣と言われたらそれまでです｡ まったくその通りだと思います｡ 作り手は､本来作ったものでしか語れないのですよね｡世に出たものがすべてです｡ 少しの抵抗感がありながら､ずっと続けていくのはなかなかつらくもありました｡ ただ､実際の彼らはかなり前向きで､喜んで協力してくださっていました｡ できるうちにやってよかったのだろうと思っております｡
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    11 Sources

    @famitsuゲームデザイナーズ大賞16年間の歴史に幕 桜井氏「やめる理由は、私の代わりがいなかったから」 https://www.famitsu.com/article/202609/87936 ゲームデザイナーズ大賞は独創性をテーマにした賞。独創性のあるゲーム作品を作っているクリエイターを集めて、作品を評価して、壇上に立って受賞したゲームを紹介する。……ということができる、代わりのクリエイターがいなかったという。
    @livedoornews【理由】桜井政博氏「私の代わりがいなかった」今回で16年間続いたゲームデザイナーズ大賞は終了 https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/32332779/ 登壇した桜井氏は「独創性みたいなものを失った業界はゆっくりと死んでいくだけ」と話し、ゲーム業界が数多くの人々の独創性などで成り立っているとコメントした。
    @Stealth40kSakurai said the Game Designer Award is being retired at the Japan Game Awards because he couldn't find anyone to replace him. It would take a Director capable of coordinating with other Directors like Hideki Kamiya, Fumito Ueda, Suda51 and others, but nobody could be found.
    @aitaikimochiThe Japan Awards 2026 has had a special "Game Designers Award" every year for the past 16 years where Sakurai Masahiro brings together a group of game creator judges to decide on a game that exemplifies game design excellence. However, this year marks the last year of this award. When asked why Sakurai will not be continuing the award, he replies "there is simply no one else to replace me." He mentioned that he searched for years to find someone else who has the capacity to gather groundbreaking directors to be the judges as well as stand on stage to present this award, but he could not find anyone to fill the role.
    @Genki_JPNMasahiro Sakurai says the reason the "Game Designers Award" is ending is because there was no one to replace him! He said he started the award 16 years ago and has been searching for a few years to find someone to replace him, even among the other judges but he couldn't find someone to replace him as the leader of the panel.
    @MikeyNohMoreEverytime I've read what other Japanese game devs say about Sakurai, it always sounds like the Apostles talking about Jesus.
    @AUTOMATON_ENGMasahiro Sakurai discontinues Game Designers Award after 16 years after failing to find a successor, warns fellow devs that an industry without originality “will die a slow death” The last game to receive the award was Word Game by Team9 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/masahiro-sakurai-discontinues-game-designers-award-after-16-years-after-failing-to-find-successor-warns-fellow-devs-that-an-industry-without-originality-will-die-a-slow-death/
    @IGNMasahiro Sakurai revealed that the Game Designers Award won’t return to the Japan Game Awards, as he has failed to find an adequate replacement to take up his mantle. https://bit.ly/4cP9jhD
    @Sora_Sakurai壇上では話が長くなるので端折ったのですが… 毎年敏腕ゲームディレクターの方々に審査をお願いするのが非常に申し訳ないと思っておりました｡ みんな作り手なので｡ ｢他の作品を評価するぐらいなら､自分で斬新な作品を作れよ!｣と言われたらそれまでです｡ まったくその通りだと思います｡ 作り手は､本来作ったものでしか語れないのですよね｡世に出たものがすべてです｡ 少しの抵抗感がありながら､ずっと続けていくのはなかなかつらくもありました｡ ただ､実際の彼らはかなり前向きで､喜んで協力してくださっていました｡ できるうちにやってよかったのだろうと思っております｡
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