Shutaro Ida, the longtime Castlevania and Bloodstained developer, has died at the age of 52 after battling cancer.
Best known for his work on the Castlevania series and as Creative Director on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Ida spent decades helping shape some of the most influential action-platformers ever made.
Writing in a statement translated by Automaton, ArtPlay co-founder Koji Igarashi paid tribute to Ida’s legacy:
“In the early hours of Tuesday, February 10, 2026, our Creative Director, Shutaro, passed away peacefully after battling cancer for approximately one and a half years. Our first project together was Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. It is no exaggeration to say that numerous titles hailed as masterpieces would not have been possible without his contributions. His talent was truly exceptional.
After I left the Castlevania series, opportunities to work together became fewer, but I am profoundly grateful that he accepted my invitation to join the current company without hesitation. I feel the success of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was also made possible by his tremendous support. Looking back, he supported me for over twenty years. He was someone who constantly thought about games, approaching development as if it were burning his life away.
When it was discovered that he had a terminal cancer in September 2024, it came as a tremendous shock. The subsequent year and a half of battling the illness must have been unimaginably harsh. His passing is profoundly regrettable, yet knowing he is now free from suffering brings a sense of relief. Having run at full speed all this time, I hope he can now rest peacefully.
The game he was working on, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, is currently in development. It is a precious work imbued with his vision. We shall carry forward his aspirations and see the game through to completion, determined not to disappoint him. We ask for your continued support and encouragement, now more than ever.
Our thoughts are with his bereaved family, and we offer our deepest condolences.”
Ida worked closely with Igarashi for more than two decades, including on Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and other entries that helped define the series’ modern era. His work played a key role in refining the exploration-focused gameplay formula that would later become synonymous with the Metroidvania genre.
After leaving Konami, Ida joined ArtPlay and served as Creative Director on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the 2019 spiritual successor widely praised for continuing Castlevania’s legacy. At the time of his passing, he was working on Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, which ArtPlay confirmed will continue development as the team carries forward his vision.
His death marks the loss of one of the most influential developers behind Castlevania and Bloodstained, with his work continuing to shape the genre and inspire players around the world.