WarioWare Series Director Goro Abe Departs Nintendo After 25-Year Legacy
Goro Abe, the renowned game designer and director best known for his pivotal role in the WarioWare series, has officially stepped down from Nintendo after an extensive 25-year tenure.
Following an announcement on Twitter this morning, Abe confirmed his retirement from the company at the end of February 2026, signaling the conclusion of a remarkable era for both himself and the celebrated Nintendo franchise. Abe’s journey at Nintendo began in 1999 when he joined to work on Wario Land 4, marking the beginning of a transformative relationship with the Wario franchise.
Over the subsequent two and a half decades, Abe became a driving force behind the WarioWare series, overseeing its evolution across virtually every major Nintendo hardware platform of the 21st century, including landmark releases on the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Nintendo Switch.
The sheer volume and creativity characterizing each WarioWare title have cemented the franchise as a staple in Nintendo’s innovative game portfolio. In an official statement (shared via machine translation), Abe wrote, “I resigned from Nintendo at the end of February.
Beginning in April, I will embark on a new chapter as a professor at Osaka Electro-Communication University, joining the newly launched ‘Game and Social Design Program.’” Abe added that his future endeavors will focus on research in game development, with the goal of imparting his industry knowledge to aspiring creators. Before joining Nintendo, Abe's career roots can be traced to the ASCII Corporation in 1996, according to reporting by Video Games Chronicle (VGC).
Once at Nintendo, his contributions were not limited to just the WarioWare franchise.
Abe also secured credits on other notable titles such as Super Smash Bros.
Brawl (where he served as a supervisor), Bird & Beans, and Mario Party 10, further underlining his diverse talents as a game developer and leader within the company. Abe’s retirement marks a significant moment for Nintendo and its fans, as he leaves behind a legacy defined by playful experimentation and genre-defining innovations on platforms ranging from the Nintendo GameCube to Nintendo Switch.
As he transitions to an academic role, the gaming industry anticipates that Abe’s influence will persist—now through education and mentorship, shaping the next generation of game developers.
With his achievements etched into Nintendo history, Goro Abe’s departure closes a memorable chapter while opening exciting new possibilities for both himself and the wider field of game design.
Following an announcement on Twitter this morning, Abe confirmed his retirement from the company at the end of February 2026, signaling the conclusion of a remarkable era for both himself and the celebrated Nintendo franchise. Abe’s journey at Nintendo began in 1999 when he joined to work on Wario Land 4, marking the beginning of a transformative relationship with the Wario franchise.
Over the subsequent two and a half decades, Abe became a driving force behind the WarioWare series, overseeing its evolution across virtually every major Nintendo hardware platform of the 21st century, including landmark releases on the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Nintendo Switch.
The sheer volume and creativity characterizing each WarioWare title have cemented the franchise as a staple in Nintendo’s innovative game portfolio. In an official statement (shared via machine translation), Abe wrote, “I resigned from Nintendo at the end of February.
Beginning in April, I will embark on a new chapter as a professor at Osaka Electro-Communication University, joining the newly launched ‘Game and Social Design Program.’” Abe added that his future endeavors will focus on research in game development, with the goal of imparting his industry knowledge to aspiring creators. Before joining Nintendo, Abe's career roots can be traced to the ASCII Corporation in 1996, according to reporting by Video Games Chronicle (VGC).
Once at Nintendo, his contributions were not limited to just the WarioWare franchise.
Abe also secured credits on other notable titles such as Super Smash Bros.
Brawl (where he served as a supervisor), Bird & Beans, and Mario Party 10, further underlining his diverse talents as a game developer and leader within the company. Abe’s retirement marks a significant moment for Nintendo and its fans, as he leaves behind a legacy defined by playful experimentation and genre-defining innovations on platforms ranging from the Nintendo GameCube to Nintendo Switch.
As he transitions to an academic role, the gaming industry anticipates that Abe’s influence will persist—now through education and mentorship, shaping the next generation of game developers.
With his achievements etched into Nintendo history, Goro Abe’s departure closes a memorable chapter while opening exciting new possibilities for both himself and the wider field of game design.
