For more than two decades, Junichi Masuda was the creative pulse behind Pokémon. His fingerprints are on almost every part of the franchise’s evolution from the 8-bit melodies of Red and Blue to the cinematic ambition of X and Y. To many fans, he wasn’t just a developer. He was Pokémon.
So when Masuda quietly stopped directing mainline entries after X and Y, it raised questions. Why would the man who helped shape the most successful RPG series on Earth step away from the director’s chair?
Recent leaked internal documents which Game Freak and The Pokémon Company have not confirmed paint a complicated picture of creative control, internal tension, and the growing pains of a studio that had to evolve faster than its own comfort allowed.
The Masuda Era
According to the reports, Game Freak’s internal culture during the early 2000s revolved almost entirely around Masuda’s vision. Those who worked under him described what they called “the era of absolute dominance,” where major creative, staffing, and design decisions flowed through a single person.
That approach worked wonders during the DS years. Titles like Diamond & Pearl and Black & White benefited from a unified voice, a clear design identity, and the kind of confidence that comes from a small team marching behind a single leader.
But as the series ballooned into a multimedia empire, that structure started to strain. What once felt like inspired leadership began to feel like bottlenecking. The leaks suggest that disagreements emerged between Masuda and other senior figures, including art director Ken Sugimori, particularly during the development of Pokémon X and Y.
A Turning Point
Those internal disputes reportedly reached a breaking point. According to the translated documents, Game Freak’s leadership decided that future mainline Pokémon titles would move forward without Masuda as director, shifting his influence toward music, creative guidance, and public relations instead.
It wasn’t an exile more of a restructuring. But for Masuda, who had spent his career at the centre of Game Freak’s creative core, it represented a major change.
By 2022, he had officially left Game Freak altogether, taking on the newly created role of Chief Creative Fellow at The Pokémon Company. The position, described as an advisory and brand-focused role, allowed him to continue shaping Pokémon’s direction just not from the development trenches.
Reading Between the Lines
If these leaked details are genuine, they hint at a company trying to find balance between tradition and evolution. Pokémon’s rapid expansion into open-world games, mobile titles, and global merchandising demanded a different kind of leadership structure one less reliant on a single personality.
And yet, for many fans, something intangible changed when Masuda stepped away. The later games may be larger and technically more ambitious, but they often feel different more committee-driven, less personal. Whether that’s good or bad depends on who you ask.
What’s Official and What Isn’t
It’s important to note that none of these claims have been confirmed by Game Freak or The Pokémon Company. Masuda himself has never publicly addressed any behind-the-scenes disagreements. Officially, his departure from Game Freak was framed as a natural next step, a chance to expand his creative horizons.
Still, when viewed alongside the leaked accounts, his career trajectory makes more sense. He moved from directing and composing to mentoring and advising a transition that mirrors Pokémon’s own evolution from a niche RPG into a global juggernaut.
The Legacy Continues
Whether Masuda was pushed or simply ready to move on, his influence remains impossible to ignore. Every Pokémon melody, every battle theme, and every moment of quiet wonder that defined the series carries his DNA.
Perhaps the real story isn’t about a fall from power, but about creative reinvention a reminder that even legends have to evolve, just like the creatures they helped bring to life.
1-Up Games 