The creator of the classic Konami JRPG Suikoden and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes series’, Yoshitaka Murayama, passed away. He made the Suikoden games way back in the 1990s, and soon after finishing the first three games, he left Konami and became a freelance developer.
Recently, in 2020, Murayama created a new studio called Rabbit & Bear and released a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstart for the spiritual successor of Suikoden, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Not only was the crown funding campaign a huge success, but it also became the third-highest-funded game ever on Kickstarter.
Yoshitaka Murayama Passes Away Before The Release of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be released on time in April 2024, but in an unfortunate turn of events, Murayama will not be able to see the release of his magnum opus. His death was confirmed by the Rabbit & Bear Studio’s official X (formerly Twitter) account. According to his family, he passed away on February 6 due to complications with an ongoing illness.
The studio also shared that Murayama had poured his heart and soul into his final game since it was crowdfunded in 2020. Throughout the three-year development period, the passion and love of his fans motivated him.
His family announced that they appreciated the love and support from the fans but also requested privacy and asked that no flowers or mail be sent to them during this difficult time. For now, Rabbit & Bear will continue to work on Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes normally and release Yoshitaka Murayama’s work to the world as intended. His vision and direction will remain the way they were as well.
For the uninitiated, Eiyuden Chronicle is a turn-based JRPG like Suikoden. But it also got a spin-off game called Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, which was more of a traditional Metroidvania that was enjoyed and loved by fans and critics alike.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes comes out on April 23, 2024, on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
