Nintendo Designer Takashi Tezuka to Retire as Executive Officer

Takashi Tezuka will retire from his role as an executive officer at Nintendo on June 26, 2026, the company announced. Tezuka notified the company of his decision and will step down on that date.

Tezuka has worked at Nintendo for decades. He directed The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. He later took production and development roles on titles for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and contributed to collections such as the Super NES Classic Edition.

In past interviews, Tezuka expressed interest in a sequel to Super Mario Sunshine and in returning to The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. He participated in development discussions and held production credits on several Wii U and 3DS projects before announcing his retirement.

Other long-serving Nintendo developers retired earlier in 2026, including Hideki Konno, known for Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Island, and Kensuke Tanabe, who worked on Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3 and the Metroid Prime series.

Nintendo issued a brief statement that read, “We wish him the best with his retirement.” The company did not provide details about Tezuka’s plans after he leaves his executive post.

Tezuka’s credits span multiple console generations and include core entries in both the Mario and Zelda series. He served in directing, producing and series development roles during his career at Nintendo.