February 16, 2026
Grief, games, and a glowing fuse
Castlevania and Bloodstained developer Shutaro Ida dies aged 52
Fans mourn a genre-shaper; tributes, YOLO hot takes, and health reminders surge
TLDR: Shutaro Ida, a key creator behind modern Castlevania and Bloodstained, died at 52 from cancer as his team pledges to finish Scarlet Engagement. Fans mourn, debate his timeline in the series, drop YOLO quotes, and turn grief into health reminders—underscoring how deeply his work shaped the genre and their lives.
The gaming community is reeling after the death of Shutaro Ida, a longtime force behind modern Castlevania and Creative Director of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Koji Igarashi’s tribute — that Ida worked “as if he were burning his life away” — lit up the comments with YOLO philosophy and existential one-liners. One fan turned it into a rallying cry: skip the petty arguments, play the masterpieces. Others kept it simple: “way too young” and “we lost another one of the greats.”
Not everyone agreed on Ida’s legacy timeline. Some thought he was behind the original Nintendo-era classics, sparking a mini-drama until a commenter clarified: Ida’s Castlevania run began around 2003, rising through the ranks and shaping the genre’s modern era. That cleared the air — and refocused the thread on Igarashi’s promise to finish Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, which fans are now vowing to support in Ida’s honor.
Ida’s family, posting under his “Curry Hermit” nickname, confirmed he passed from pancreatic cancer — prompting health PSAs like “please schedule your colonoscopies,” plus waves of curry emojis and bittersweet jokes to soften the ache. The mood swung from grief to gratitude to go-play-it-now energy: fans say his work will keep adventuring even if he can finally rest.
Key Points
- •Shutaro Ida, known for Castlevania and Bloodstained, died at 52 after a battle with cancer.
- •Koji Igarashi (ArtPlay co-founder) confirmed Ida’s death on February 10, 2026, and praised his decades of contributions.
- •Ida helped shape modern Castlevania entries and refined exploration-focused gameplay central to the Metroidvania genre.
- •After leaving Konami, Ida joined ArtPlay and served as Creative Director on 2019’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
- •ArtPlay will continue developing Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, the project Ida was working on at his passing.