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Shutaro Ida has passed away aged 52 after a one-and-a-half year battle against pancreatic cancer. The news was announced by his family via a statement on Ida’s official X account on February 15. Longtime colleague Koji Igarashi has vowed to finish the designer and director’s upcoming metroidvania Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, the sequel to 2019’s Castlevania-infused Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Shutaro Ida (sometimes romanized as Shutaro Iida) worked at Konami from 1996 to 2015, mainly as a programmer. His biggest contribution was to the Castlevania series. Starting with the GBA title Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and PS2 game Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Ida played a key role in bringing the gothic action games into the sixth and seventh console generations, even directing Castlevania: Harmony of Despair on Xbox 360 and PS3. He was also a lead programmer on Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain.
Upon the invitation of former Castlevania series producer Koji “Iga” Igarashi, Ida joined ArtPlay, the indie dev company Igarashi co-founded. There, Ida designed and directed the crowdfunded game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, with Igarashi as producer. The game was well-received, and widely seen as a spiritual successor to the Castlevania series.
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