Castlevania and Bloodstained Veteran Shutaro Iida Dies at 52

Shutaro Iida, a prominent game developer known for his extensive work on the Castlevania and Bloodstained series, passed away on February 10, 2026, at the age of 52. The news was confirmed by his family via his official X account, citing pancreatic cancer as the cause of death.

A Career Spanning Konami and ArtPlay

Iida began his career at Konami in 1996, initially as a programmer. He contributed to titles like Sexy Parodius and Salamander: Deluxe Pack Plus for the Sega Saturn. He later became a key figure in the development of numerous Castlevania games, starting with Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow on the Game Boy Advance in the early 2000s. His work extended to titles such as Lament of Innocence, Harmony of Despair, Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia.

Iida also held programming roles on Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, serving as a lead game programmer and lead enemy programmer.

Following Koji Igarashi’s departure from Konami in 2014, Iida joined him at ArtPlay to work on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. He served as designer and director on the critically acclaimed title, which was released in 2019.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement to Proceed in His Honor

ArtPlay is currently developing Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, a prequel to Ritual of the Night, slated for release in 2026. Iida’s family shared his final message expressing his hope that fans would continue to enjoy the games he created, and specifically requested continued support for Bloodstained 2.

Koji Igarashi has stated that the development of Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement will be completed in Iida’s honor.

“The Curry Sage”

Iida was affectionately known as “the Curry Sage” by fans and colleagues. His family expressed their gratitude for the kindness shown to him throughout his life and requested respect for their privacy.

Sources: Video Games Chronicle, PC Gamer, RPG Site, Anime News Network