Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid 5 veteran Shutaro Iida dies at 52

Shutaro Iida, a longtime Castlevania developer, has died at the age of 52. His family posted on his account that he passed away on February 10 after battling cancer, and they expressed gratitude for the kindness shown to him. Iida first revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2024 and said he would step away from development to focus on his health.

He had been working on the Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night sequel, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, before his illness progressed. Koji Igarashi, who worked with Iida since Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, wrote that “numerous titles hailed as masterpieces would not have been possible without his contributions.” Igarashi credited Iida’s tremendous support for the success of Bloodstained and noted he had supported him for over twenty years, approaching development as if it were burning his life away.

Igarashi said the discovery of terminal cancer in September 2024 was a tremendous shock and that, while Iida’s passing is profoundly regrettable, there is relief knowing he is free from suffering.

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