Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., has closed the Game Designers Award after 16 years, as he could not find a suitable replacement to lead the award. Word Game by Team9 won the final award, recognized for its innovative localization from Traditional Chinese to Japanese. Sakurai urged the industry to prioritize creativity and innovation to prevent stagnation, noting that innovativeness often doesn't guarantee profitability.