Konami Pays Tribute Following Death Of Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator
Yu-Gi-Oh! game developer and card publisher Konami has offered its condolences for the passing of the game's creator, Kazuki Takahashi.
"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Mr. Kazuki Takahashi," wrote Konami in a statement. "We are deeply grateful for the wonderful 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' universe that he has created, and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time.
Related: A Tribute To The Life, Work, And Legacy Of Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator Kazuki Takahashi
"Together with his countless fans, we pledge to carry on the 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' legacy with all the love and care it deserves."
Takahashi’s body was found off the coast of Nago City in Okinawa by the Japanese Coast Guard after it was first spotted by a passing boat. The body was wearing snorkeling gear including a mask and flippers. Initial examinations revealed Takahashi had been dead for one or two days already, although the cause of death has yet to be reported.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! creator’s partnership with Konami began soon after the game’s creation in 1996. Konami was brought on to both develop the card game as well publish an expansive video game library that would eventually span 56 titles across multiple hardware generations. That’s in addition to an ongoing anime that spans 11 seasons, four movies, multiple spinoffs, and over 35 billion cards distributed as of January 2021.
Konami’s well wishes come as fans from all over the world mourn Takahashi’s passing. Toei Animation, the studio behind the anime, offered its condolences alongside Marvel, which published a one-shot comic written by Takahashi where Iron Man and Spider-Man teamed up to defeat an evil gaming company. Voice actors from across the anime world paid their own special
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