In a rather stunning announcement this afternoon, Nintendo of America has revealed that current NOA President and Chief Operating Officer Doug Bowser will be retiring by the end of the year. Effective December 31st, 2025, Bowser will step down and Devon Pritchard will assume his duties as the newest president of the company. She will be the first woman to take the job since Nintendo’s formation over 100 years ago.
As a press release from Nintendo notes, Pritchard is a 19-year veteran of the games industry and has been involved with NOA’s leadership team in the past. As well as her promotion soon, Satoru Shibata will be joining NOA as CEO. He will continue his roles as Managing Executive Officer and Corporate Director, Member of the Board at Nintendo Co.
“Now, it’s time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself,” Bowser said in the press release. “She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company’s growth. I have full confidence that she will guide the company to even greater heights.”
Pritchard added, “Doug has been a fantastic mentor, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped establish. With characters and worlds that offer something for everyone, my focus will be continuing to build on Nintendo’s legacy of surprising and delighting our longtime fans, while at the same time welcoming new players into the Nintendo family.”
Doug Bowser will be ending his run with Nintendo on a high as the Switch 2 has managed to sell a ludicrous number of consoles in less than a year. In the six years since he took over the role of president from Reggie Fils-Aime, the original Switch has sold over 140 million units with many of its games breaking 20 million+ copies sold. While never as prominent as his predecessor, Bowser steered the ship with deft skill. It will be interesting to see this new era of Nintendo emerge, but we’re sure to be in good hands.
Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
