Takashi Tezuka to Step Down as Nintendo Executive Officer in June 2026 but Will Remain as Producer

Takashi Tezuka, one of Nintendo’s longest-serving developers, will step down from his role as an Executive Officer at Nintendo Japan when his term expires in June 2026, but the company confirmed he will remain at Nintendo as a producer. The clarification came during Nintendo’s latest shareholder Q&A after earlier reports indicated he intended to retire from the company entirely. Tezuka joined Nintendo in 1984 and has been involved in the development of many of the company’s flagship series, beginning with Super Mario Bros. for the Family Computer (Famicom) / Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has contributed to titles and franchises including The Legend of Zelda, Yoshi, Luigi’s Mansion, and Animal Crossing. During the shareholder Q&A, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explained the personnel change and Tezuka’s ongoing role. Furukawa noted that Tezuka is stepping down from the Executive Officer position at the end of his current term but will continue participating in Nintendo’s development efforts as a producer. Furukawa highlighted Tezuka’s long tenure at the company and his foundational work dating back to the Famicom era. Tezuka himself reflected on his 42 years at Nintendo, telling shareholders that the constant through his career has been enjoyment of the work. He described early development as a time when game-creation tools were rare and teams often built systems from scratch. In contrast, he said modern development brings satisfaction from collaborating across large development organizations and pooling collective knowledge. Tezuka also cited the ongoing challenge and enjoyment of applying emerging technologies — including 3D, stereoscopic 3D, and motion capture — to game development, and said that this drive makes him feel he could continue as a game developer for the foreseeable future. Nintendo’s confirmation that Tezuka will remain with the company as a producer ensures that one of the architects behind many of Nintendo’s major IPs will still have a hand in future projects. As Nintendo continues to support platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and communicate releases and updates through channels like Nintendo Direct and the Nintendo eShop, Tezuka’s continued presence on the development side will be watched closely by fans and industry observers alike. Source: Nintendo shareholder Q&A