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ArtPlay has announced that Bloodstained creative director Shutaro Ida passed away on February 10, 2026, at the age of 52. Ida had been battling pancreatic cancer for approximately one and a half years.
Ida was a respected programmer and designer known for his work on several Castlevania games during his time at Konami, where he worked from 1996 to 2015. Beyond Castlevania, he contributed to titles including Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Shadow of Memories, and Sexy Parodius.
ArtPlay co-founder and president Koji Igarashi, who first worked with Ida on Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, shared his thoughts on the loss. Igarashi stated that Ida’s contributions to the gaming industry were significant and that many beloved titles would not have been possible without him. After leaving Konami in 2015, Ida worked with 505 Games, Armature Studio, and Inti Creates before joining ArtPlay.
【ご報告】SHUTARO 逝去のお知らせ
去る2026年2月10日(火)早朝、弊社クリエイティブディレクターSHUTAROが、約1年半に及ぶ癌との闘病の末、永眠いたしました。
彼とは『キャッスルヴァニア ―暁月の円舞曲―』以来、ともに仕事をしてまいりました。… https://t.co/HeFlDLxY7c
— IGA (@KojiIGA) February 16, 2026
“Looking back, he supported me for over twenty years,” Igarashi wrote. He noted that Ida “constantly thought about games, approaching development as if it were burning his life away.”
Ida revealed his cancer diagnosis publicly on X (formerly Twitter) in October 2024, after learning in September 2024 that his condition was terminal. At that time, he informed Bloodstained fans that he had already submitted his plans for the upcoming game Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, including story ideas and game design concepts. He then stepped away from the project to focus on treatment.
Known by fans through nicknames such as “Curry the Kid,” “Curry Hermit,” and “Curry Gentleman Shutaro,” Ida remained connected to the gaming community during his illness. He frequently liked and reposted Castlevania and Bloodstained fan art on social media. His final post on January 30 acknowledged his declining health and asked fans to cherish the upcoming Bloodstained titles and all the games he helped create.
Development on Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement will continue. In his statement, Igarashi said the team is committed to completing the game according to Ida’s vision. “It is a precious work imbued with his vision. We shall carry forward his aspirations and see the game through to completion,” he stated.
