Nintendo has announced that long-serving developer Takashi Tezuka will step down from his role as Executive Officer, an organizational change the company said will take effect on 26 June 2026.
The move was included in a company statement that also named several other retirements and director candidates.
Tezuka is widely recognized as one of Nintendo’s most influential creative figures.
Nintendo’s announcement credited him with early design work on the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES and direction on landmark titles such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on Nintendo’s 8-bit and 16-bit platforms.
Over subsequent decades he has served as a producer and senior creative lead on numerous franchise entries.
At the time of the announcement, his most recent credited work included Super Mario Bros.
Wonder for the Nintendo Switch, which released in October 2023.
In its release, Nintendo expressed gratitude for Tezuka’s decades of service.
Rewriting the statement in journalistic terms: Nintendo thanked Tezuka for his long-standing contributions to the company’s flagship franchises and for helping shape the creative direction of Mario and Zelda series across multiple hardware generations.
The company also confirmed retirements for Takuya Yoshimura, Katsuhiro Umeyama and Keiko Akashi, noting those changes would be effective alongside Tezuka’s departure.
Subject to shareholder approval, Nintendo named senior director of the Auditing Department Yutaka Takenaga as a director candidate and selected Chika Saka as an Outside Director candidate.
Nintendo’s announcement did not specify whether Tezuka would sever all ties with the company after his executive retirement; the statement limited itself to the change in corporate role and the listed succession candidates.
Takashi Tezuka’s career is closely associated with Nintendo’s defining eras—from NES and SNES hits to modern Switch releases—and his retirement as an executive marks a notable moment in the company’s leadership transition.
Nintendo’s formal filings and the company's corporate statement remain the primary sources for the personnel and governance details reported here.
The move was included in a company statement that also named several other retirements and director candidates.
Tezuka is widely recognized as one of Nintendo’s most influential creative figures.
Nintendo’s announcement credited him with early design work on the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES and direction on landmark titles such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on Nintendo’s 8-bit and 16-bit platforms.
Over subsequent decades he has served as a producer and senior creative lead on numerous franchise entries.
At the time of the announcement, his most recent credited work included Super Mario Bros.
Wonder for the Nintendo Switch, which released in October 2023.
In its release, Nintendo expressed gratitude for Tezuka’s decades of service.
Rewriting the statement in journalistic terms: Nintendo thanked Tezuka for his long-standing contributions to the company’s flagship franchises and for helping shape the creative direction of Mario and Zelda series across multiple hardware generations.
The company also confirmed retirements for Takuya Yoshimura, Katsuhiro Umeyama and Keiko Akashi, noting those changes would be effective alongside Tezuka’s departure.
Subject to shareholder approval, Nintendo named senior director of the Auditing Department Yutaka Takenaga as a director candidate and selected Chika Saka as an Outside Director candidate.
Nintendo’s announcement did not specify whether Tezuka would sever all ties with the company after his executive retirement; the statement limited itself to the change in corporate role and the listed succession candidates.
Takashi Tezuka’s career is closely associated with Nintendo’s defining eras—from NES and SNES hits to modern Switch releases—and his retirement as an executive marks a notable moment in the company’s leadership transition.
Nintendo’s formal filings and the company's corporate statement remain the primary sources for the personnel and governance details reported here.