Masahiro Sakurai is a well-known Japanese game director and designer. He oversaw and created some of the new gaming industry’s most famous pixelated games. His biggest successes include the Smash Bros. and Kirby series. He now owns and operates his own business. He and his wife have been present for all of the changes in the gaming world, up to and including where we are now and where we will be in the future.
Quick Facts
| Celebrated Name: | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Real Name/Full Name: | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | 53 years old |
| Birth Date: | 3 August 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Musashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Height: | 5ft 6in |
| Weight: | 65kg |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Wife/Spouse (Name): | Michiko Sakurai |
| Children/Kids (Son and Daughter): | No |
| Dating/Girlfriend (Name): | N/A |
| Is Masahiro Sakurai Gay?: | No |
| Profession: | Video Game director, designer, tester |
| Salary: | $100,000 a year |
| Net Worth in 2024: | $12 million |
Masahiro Sakurai Biography
When Masahiro was younger, his family was strict. He was born on the banks of the Tokyo River. During his middle school years, he enrolled in a specialized school. But he soon dropped out and enrolled in a regular high school. His professional career began at a young age. He worked for the video game company HAL Laboratory.
Masahiro Sakurai Age, Height, weight
Masahiro Sakurai was born on August 3, 1970, He is 53 years old as of 2024. His height is 5ft 6in and he weighs 65kg.
Career
Masahiro began working on a new video game shortly after being hired by HAL Laboratory right out of high school. He created Kirby when he was only 19 years old. He wanted to make a game with only one button. In 1992, his first original game became an instant hit. Kirby’s adventures lasted until 2004. In 1996, he created Super Smash Bros. with the help of HAL and his interests. It was a bigger hit than Kirby, and most importantly, it appealed to a much younger generation, who were only 4 or 5 years old at the time.
He had a few other one-off games that were minor hits. Then, in 2003, he left HAL, claiming that he was not given enough creative freedom and that HAL persuaded him to make sequels to every game. Following that, he developed his best one-off game, “Kid Icarus: Uprising.” It was a worldwide sensation. He established his own company, Sora Ltd, in 2003. Sora was responsible for all of his subsequent labels, and his most recent work was “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” in 2018. His wife tested and co-directed some of the games.
Achievements and Awards
- Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award, Japan Game Awards 2015.
- Super Smash Bros. Global Award – Japan
- NAVGTR Award, Game Franchise Fighting, 2015
- 2019 Game Awards: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Masahiro Sakurai’s Net Worth in 2024
His net worth has skyrocketed since he began working immediately after high school, as he has produced hit after hit. As his games continued to win awards and sell copies, he increased his profits. As of February 2024, his net worth is $12 million. His earnings are unknown, but as CEO of Sora Ltd., he is estimated to earn around $100,000 per year.
Masahiro Sakurai is a video game industry legend who revolutionized the world with his concept. He is the first developer to work on a pixelated console game with a single button. He is also a contributing factor to Nintendo’s current popularity. To attract children, he changed the genre of fighting games by removing visual violence and focusing on technique. He is a credit to the gaming industry, and fans can only hope that he will continue to create games.
Masahiro Sakurai Wife, Marriage
He is his parent’s only child. There is very little information available about his family life. Everything we know about him comes from his timeline and interviews. He comes from a conservative Japanese family and is still very close to his family. He began making video games because he enjoyed playing them.
In 2008, he married Michiko Takahashi, who also worked for the same video game company. Michiko has continued to contribute by designing and testing since Masahiro established his own company.
