It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Yoshitaka Murayama, the brilliant mind behind the beloved Suikoden franchise and the director/scenario writer of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. His untimely demise is a tragic loss for the gaming community.
The development team behind Hundred Heroes on Switch and other platforms, Rabbit & Bear Studios, has announced the news. Murayama took on the role of studio head, having co-founded it with fellow Suikoden creator Junko Kawano.
Rabbit & Bear Studios recently issued a heartfelt statement regarding Murayama’s unfortunate passing. The team expressed deep sorrow over the fact that the visionary creator will not have the opportunity to witness the reaction of his fans upon the release of Hundred Heroes.
“Murayama first began this journey of the creation of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes in 2020 through the support of his very loving fans on Kickstarter. Throughout the three-plus-year-development of the game, it was always the passion from his fans that continued to drive his creative vision and motivate him to put his all into the project.
“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. However, even with those feelings we need to accept the reality that he is no longer with us and continue to push his dream forward by releasing Eiyuden Chronicle to the world. We want to maintain his legacy and vision with this game and know that he would have wanted the rich world he has created with Eiyuden Chronicle to live on.”
During this difficult period, the family of Murayama kindly requests privacy and respectfully asks that no flowers, mail, or other offerings be sent. Rabbit & Bear Studios will provide additional information regarding the organizational changes that have occurred due to Murayama’s passing in the near future.