Last Tuesday (1st), designer Shutaro Ida announced his decision to step away from the development of Bloodstained 2 to focus on treatment for a recently diagnosed cancer. The information was released on his account on the X platform (formerly Twitter), where he expressed his commitment to his health.
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Ida, who is also known as Curry Boy and Curry Sage, shared: “I have been diagnosed with cancer and have now begun my battle against the disease. I had already started discussions about a Bloodstained sequel and 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 the development of 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 series titles at Konami. In addition, he produced the games for the Nintendo DS, and the team recently brought them together in the Dominus Collection, which is available on various platforms.
production team Bloodstained 2. Koji Igarashi, the series creator 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 recovers 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 project's continuity and the next steps the development team will take. For now, the team has not released any further information about the game's progress or detailed how they intend to address this situation.