Pikmin 4 devs explain why it took so long for the game to release

The team behind Pikmin 4 has commented on the game’s development and discussed why it took so long for it to release.

For years, fans were holding onto the now-infamous words from Shigeru Miyamoto who said in 2015 that the project was “very close to completion.” Yet it wasn’t until this past summer that the game finally released on Switch. So what happened?

Chief and programming director Yuji Kando told Game Informer that work on Pikmin 4 started “as a small team” once things wrapped up on 2015. However, he explained that “since we had to prioritize other projects, we weren’t able to create the development team framework needed to complete the game.”

Kando, along with planning director Yutaka Hiramuki, had this to say about Pikmin 4’s development:

Kando: After the development for Pikmin 3 ended, we started development for Pikmin 4 as a small team.

As we made several attempts and tried out various things, there were moments when we could see the game take shape, but since we had to prioritize other projects, we weren’t able to create the development team framework needed to complete the game. But the fruits of our labor during that time lead to the result of what Pikmin 4 is today.

Hiramuki: We know the fans were worried since Pikmin 4 was taking a long time, but thanks to their patience, we were able to make a game that is enjoyable for many people.