Nihon-Falcom, the studio most known for developing RPG franchises such as Ys and The Legend of Heroes, has lost its leader, as its founder and former president, Masayuki Kato, died at age 78.
The announcement was made on the company’swebsite, where a letter was penned to address the announcement formally. It also mentioned that a farewell event of some sort is planned, though there’s no date for it yet.
Nihon-Falcom Founder Masayuki Kato Dies At 78
We’ve included an excerpt of the letter, which has been translated below via DeepL:
Notice of Passing Away of Chairman of the Board and Changes in Directors (Obituary)
Masayuki Kato, the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, passed away on June 01, 2025, and retired as a director on the same day.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness and support during his lifetime. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for his kindness and support during his lifetime.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness in his lifetime.
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The company’s announcement also mentioned how Kato’s family wishes the wake and the farewell ceremony to be held only with the next of kin. They also respectfully decline any condolences, flowers, offerings, incense, and the like as well.
The letter also mentions that a “farewell party” will be held later, though details of this have yet to be determined.
Masayuki Kato founded Nihon-Falcom back in 1981. Star Wars' Millenium Falcon inspired the name Falcom, though Kato changed the “n” to “m” to fit the naming trends at the time. While Nihon-Falcom primarily focused on PC games, that changed in the 2000s when the company started to release more games on consoles. The most recent game from the studio also released in the US was Ys X: Nordics, made available at retail in September 2023.
Kato stepped down from his role as company president in 2001, and was succeeded by Shinji Yamazaki, and then by current president Toshihiro Kondo. Masayuki Kato remained with the company as chairman of the board of directors until his death.
We here at DualShockers offer our deepest condolences to Kato’s family and to everyone affected by his passing.
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