ArtPlay and Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement’s creative director, Shutaro Ida, has passed away at 52 from cancer.
Announced through the official X (formerly Twitter) account of ArtPlay, their creative director, Shutaro Ida, passed away on February 10, 2026, after a one-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Shutaro has been a significant figure in the gaming industry, not only in ArtPlay games but also in popular franchises such as Metal Gear Solid and Castlevania.
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement be Completed to Shutaro’s Legacy and Vision
The last project on which ArtPlay’s creative director was working was Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement. Shutaro was leading this project, and it has now entered its final stages. The development studio has promised to “carry forward his legacy and strive with all our strength to complete this work worthy of his vision and name.”
For those unaware, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is a 2.5D metroidvania title, set in 16th-century England. It features a gothic atmosphere with strategic battles, crafting, and exploration. The game features a new buddy system for the series, allowing players to play as both Leo and Alex to battle Demon Lord Elias’s reign of terror.
The title also features the series’s largest map yet, with a day-and-night cycle that includes dawn, day, dusk, and night. Players can learn new and powerful abilities as they progress, plus there is also a lot of crafting and cooking, along with customisation that can change the players’ attributes.
In other news, check out the latest God of War 2.5D game, Sons of Sparta, which got trashed on by the original series creator. Additionally, the designer of SEGA consoles, Hideki Sato, recently passed away, too. Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more information from Insider Gaming, read about God of War: Sons of Sparta receiving harsh comments from the original series creator. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
RIP. Saw people using this to push politics which is stupid because it made no sense also just scummy. Once again sorry this man went through that and died.