Today Marks The End of An Era For Nintendo 

Nintendo, along with Sandfall Interactive and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, was arguably the biggest star of the video game industry in 2025, with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. With New Year's Eve here and the start of 2026 in sight, it's time for one of Nintendo's biggest figures to say goodbye.

Doug Bowser, the current president of Nintendo of America, will be retiring today, December 31, 2025. Bowser announced his retirement three months ago in a post to his personal LinkedIn and other socials. The industry veteran has been the president of Nintendo of America since April 15, 2019, when he took over the role from previous president Reggie Fils-Aimé.

In his retirement announcement post, Bowser said, "Nintendo has been an integral part of my life for 44 years, starting with Donkey Kong Arcade as a kid in college. If you asked 20-year-old Doug, who was plugging those quarters nonstop into the cabinet, if I ever thought I would have the opportunity to work for Nintendo, I would have said 'only in my dreams.'"

He continued, writing, "To have a chance to work with the amazing employees of Nintendo, to introduce our characters and worlds to consumers, and ultimately create the same smiles I experienced 44 years ago and still experience today, has been nothing short of incredible. It’s been a dream come true."

Devon Pritchard will be stepping into the role of president of Nintendo of America tomorrow, January 1, 2026. She will be the fifth person and first woman at the helm of Nintendo of America. Pritchard has been a part of Nintendo of America since 2006 as the executive vice president.

Signing off his retirement post, Bowser thanked Pritchard and wished her well in her role as she leads Nintendo of America for the foreseeable future. He concluded, writing, "As for me, it's not Game Over….it’s just time to Level Up!"