Last year Masahiro Sakurai revealed that he is suffering from calcific tendinitis. For those of you not versed in the ways of muscle diseases, calcific tendinitis is when deposits of crystalline calcium phosphate end up growing in your tendons. This causes immense pain and eventually paralysis. It ain’t fun.

As a result, Sakurai can barely play the game he is actively designing, that being Smash Bros. for the 3DS and Wii U. The disease affects the tendons in his forearm, which makes it hard for him to move his fingers without pain. He’s still been playing the game in order to test it, but progress is going slowly. Sakurai said last year that if the condition worsens, it may impact the Smash Bros. project, but for now the project is going on as normal.

The condition was originally isolated to his right arm and shoulder, but has now spread to his left. Sakurai isn’t required to come into work every day. According to Famitsu, his work hours are whatever he decides to set them at. He has the option to show up once a week if he likes, or even telecommute. However, he doesn’t. Despite his injury, he comes into work at 10AM every day to oversee Smash Bros. development. Sakurai approves every design decision and nothing gets into the game without his approval. "It's just as important to check the specifications behind the development of things like graphics, sound, motions, characters, stages, game modes, and UI, not just the products themselves,” writes Sakurai.