Nintendo composer Ryo Nagamatsu has departed the studio

Splatoon musician takes leave after 17 years

Video game composer Ryo Nagamatsu announced that they have left Nintendo following a 17-year tenure that saw them produce music for titles franchises including Splatoon, Mario Kart, Super Mario, and Smash Bros.

Speaking in a succinct message on Twitter, Ryo Nagamatsu implied that he has left Nintendo (amicably) in order to spread his creative wings a little further across the industry.

“I have made a decision to leave the company of April 30, 2023,” writes Nagamatsu. “I will work a little wider and more directly to help those who need my help and to help the industry. Thank you all for your kind support! I look forward to serve you in the future! (an amicable settlement)”

Joining the studio in 2006, Nagamatsu plied his trade on some of the biggest releases for Nintendo platforms, composing music for Wii releases Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Wii Sports Resort. 3DS titles The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Mario Kart 8, and Mario Party: Star Rush, and in more recent years oversaw music composition and voice recordings for Switch titles Splatoon 3, Mario Party Superstars, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

We can very likely look forward to hearing his exciting and evocative compositions in future works.