Last Tuesday (1st), designer Shutaro Ida announced his decision to step away from the development of Bloodstained 2 to focus on treating recently diagnosed cancer. The information was released on his account on platform X (formerly Twitter), where he expressed his commitment to health.
- Death Stranding 2: Hideo Kojima casts voice actor for Lycoris Recoil
- Anyway, I'm Falling in Love: New trailer scheduled for release
Ida, who is also known by the names Curry Boy and Curry Sage, shared: “I was diagnosed with cancer and now I have begun my battle against the disease. I had already started discussions about the sequel to Bloodstained and I have several ideas for the game. From now on, I will leave this work to others. Thank you for your support.”
Koji Igarashi, producer of both franchises, shared his message of support for Ida, wishing him a speedy recovery. He highlighted that director Shutaro was primarily responsible for developing the Castlevania and Bloodstained series. Furthermore, Igarashi emphasized that he deserves credit for these works, while also acknowledging Ida's significant contribution to the projects.
Impact on the development of Bloodstained 2
Shutaro Ida has built a solid career in the gaming industry, where he contributed significantly to the development of Castlevania titles at Konami. Additionally, he produced games for the Nintendo DS, and the team recently brought them together in the Dominus Collection, which is available on multiple platforms.
Bloodstained 2 production team . Koji Igarashi, the creator of the series and known as the “father” of Bloodstained , commented on the situation, stating that Ida's health is a priority and that the team will do everything possible to continue development. Igarashi expressed his hope that Ida will recover soon.
Team expectations and commitments
The developers crowdfunded and released the first game in the series, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, in 2019. In 2021, they began sharing the first information about the sequel, but development is still in its early stages. The ArtPlay team previously stated that they intend to fulfill all the promises made during the Kickstarter funding campaign before dedicating themselves to the new version.
Shutaro Ida's departure raises concerns about the continuity of the project and the next steps the development team will take. For now, the team has not yet released additional information about the game's progress or detailed how it intends to address this situation.