Junichi Masuda Steps Down As Game Freak Director, Now Serves As The Pokemon Company Chief Creative Fellow

The Pokemon Company has confirmed that Junichi Masuda will be stepping down from his directorial role at Game Freak to take on a new position.

In an official statement released today, The Pokemon Company announced that effective June 1, Masuda will now be serving as its Chief Creative Fellow.

You can read the announcement below, which also includes comments from Masuda himself:

The Pokémon Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Junichi Masuda as its Chief Creative Fellow, effective June 1, 2022.
Junichi Masuda has served as the Managing Director at GAME FREAK inc., the original creator of Pokémon, until May 31. As one of the founding members of GAME FREAK, he was involved in the development of “Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Green Version,” supporting the development of the subsequent Pokémon video game series for many years. Masuda will utilize his deep understanding of the Pokémon brand to develop new services and products at the Pokémon Company, tapping into his years of experience and creative thinking.

Comments from Junichi Masuda
I have served as the director of the Pokémon video game series, starting with “Pokémon Ruby Version and Pokémon Sapphire Version” up until “Pokémon X and Pokémon Y,” and was involved in the development of many video games, including Pokémon GO. I would like to express my heart-felt thanks to all Pokémon fans.
Going forward, I hope to transcend the boundaries of video games by trying to offer greater surprises, fun and excitement to people all over the world, while doing my utmost to connect people, expand the circle of “play” and to help bring about a richer world for us to share. I appreciate your continued support in my new role.

Let us know what you think in the comments!