Star Fox Designer Thanks Miyamoto at BitSummit 2026

Takaya Imamura, the original character designer for Star Fox, publicly thanked Shigeru Miyamoto onstage during his band’s performance at BitSummit 2026 for reviving the series with a new Star Fox title for Nintendo Switch 2. The comment came between songs and drew applause.

Between songs he addressed the crowd: “Everyone, Star Fox was great, right? Thank you Miyamoto-san. That’s all.” The remark referenced Miyamoto’s role in bringing the series back.

BitSummit 2026 is an independent game festival in Kyoto where developers, creators and industry figures gather to showcase games and celebrate game culture. Imamura has performed with his band at the festival and used the appearance to speak to attendees.

Imamura created the original character designs for Star Fox in the early 1990s. His work established the appearance and personalities of the franchise’s main characters.

In a recent magazine interview, Imamura discussed why specific animals were chosen for the main cast and described aspects of his creative process.

The new Star Fox title for Nintendo Switch 2 is the first major console entry in the series in several years and has attracted attention from industry observers and longtime fans.

Imamura’s brief onstage thanks referenced both the original design team and the current leadership behind the new entry.