The creator of Suikoden and Eiyuden Chronicles, Yoshitaka Murayama, died on February 6 due to “complications with an ongoing illness,” as announced by his company, Rabbit and Bear Studios.
Murayama joined Konami back in 1992 and worked his way up to direct and write his own game, Suikoden, which was released at the end of 1995 in Japan before reaching North America in 1996. He continued working on the series through to 2002, when he left Konami a month before the release of Suikoden III. He formed Blue Moon Studios, where he worked on 2005’s 10,000 Bullets.
Recently, he was head of Rabbit and Bear Studios and was working on Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, which is set to release April 23, 2024.
The statement from Rabbit and Bear studios reads, “His hard work on Eiyuden Chronicle as scenario writer was finished but as his co-workers and friends, it saddens us to know that he won’t get to see the reactions from his fans.”
A remaster compilation for the first two games in the Suikoden series, Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, is also likely to be released this year. It’s heartbreaking that he won’t be here for the release of his follow-up and the celebration of the games he helped build. We at Destructoid offer our sincere condolences to his friends and family.
Lead image via Rabbit and Bear Studios.
