Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Director Shutaro Iida Dies After Battle With Pancreatic Cancer

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Shutaro Iida has died after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. The news was shared on his official Twitter account today, stating he passed away on February 10th.

Shutaro, known as the Curry Sage, sadly passed away on February 10th after a battle with pancreatic cancer. A message on his social media announced his death and expressed gratitude for all the support he received during his life. While his journey has ended, his creations will live on, and fans are encouraged to continue enjoying the games he made, according to a translation by ResetEra user Foffy.

Koji Iida, a veteran of the gaming industry, recently passed away. He began his career in 1996 at Konami, contributing to several popular Castlevania games as a programmer, including Aria of Sorrow (2003), Dawn of Sorrow (2005), and Order of Ecclesia (2008). He later became a level designer for Harmony of Despair (2010). Iida also held lead programming roles on Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes.

After leaving the company in 2015, Iida continued to work on various projects, most notably collaborating with Koji Igarashi on the Bloodstained series. He directed Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a Metroidvania game released in 2019.

Even though Iida was hospitalized last year, he was also developing the next Bloodstained game, called The Scarlet Engagement. It was revealed in June 2025 with a story trailer and is expected to offer gameplay similar to previous Bloodstained titles, but with some new additions.

I was really sad to hear about Iida’s passing. Koji Igarashi, the producer of the Bloodstained series, shared a message saying he’d known and worked with Iida all the way back to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. He said they worked closely together for years, and he was so grateful for Iida’s support over the last two decades. It’s just a testament to what a great person and colleague Iida was.

He explained that they began collaborating after Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. He believes many critically acclaimed games wouldn’t have been possible without this person’s incredible talent, stating their contributions were essential to their success.

I believe Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night succeeded largely thanks to his incredible support. He’d been a champion for me for over 20 years, and he approached game development with a lifelong passion. He always put the games first and dedicated himself completely to the process.

Igarashi also discussed the creation of Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement later in the post, describing it as a meaningful project that truly captured the essence of [Iida’s] work.

I was really moved by his final message. He asked us to keep his work going and finish what he started, and to do it with care. It means a lot to me, and I think to everyone, that he’s asking for our continued support. My heart goes out to his family right now, and I’m sending all my prayers.

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2026-02-16 16:42