It’s the end of an era – and also the end of six years of the easiest Nintendo jokes ever. Doug Bowser, the actual human being who somehow ended up running Nintendo of America with the same name as Mario’s turtle-shaped nightmare, is officially retiring on December 31. That means no more press releases where we all pretend not to notice the guy called Bowser is talking about Mario.
Bowser took over from Reggie Fils-Aimé in 2019 and has been steering the ship through some pretty massive milestones: Switch 2, Nintendo’s Hollywood takeover, and a literal theme park. Not a bad run. He’ll be succeeded by Devon Pritchard, a 19-year Nintendo vet whose résumé screams “I actually know how to run this place.”
Meanwhile, in the Mushroom Kingdom, the other Bowser remains fully employed in his usual role of kidnapping Princess Peach, setting fire to castles, and getting punted into lava. Sources inside the Goomba army confirm: “Lord Bowser is not retiring. Ever.”
So thank you, Doug Bowser, for the memes, the milestones, and the surreal joy of hearing a man named Bowser talk about Mario with a straight face. Truly iconic.
