Masayuki Kato, the founder of Nihon Falcom, passed away at the age of 78 on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
The cause of death has not yet been made known.
Kato established the Ys and Legend of Heroes developer in 1981 at the age of 34, with its games going on to build the foundation to the action RPG genre.
He reportedly came up with the name Nihon Falcom by taking inspiration from Star Wars’ Millenium Falcon.
He served as president from Falcom’s founding until 2001, after which he became chairman of its board of directors.
Both the Legend of Heroes- better known through its subseries, Trails– and Ys have risen to great heights under Kato’s stewardship, with the two series going worldwide and multiplatform over the years, finding both critical acclaim and commercial success through it.
In their announcement of his passing, Falcom offered their condolences to the family while sharing that only close relatives will be permitted to attend the funeral. They also requested for people to refrain from sending in flowers, incense, and other such gifts at this time.
A memorial is being planned for the future; details are to be disclosed at a later date.
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