Eiyuden Chronicle Developer Appoints New Director After Murayama's Passing

After Yoshitaka Murayama's untimely passing, Eiyuden Chronicle studio Rabbit and Bear has appointed a new representative director.


Published: April 3, 2024 10:13 AM /

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Three of the main characters in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes by Rabbit and Bear

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes developer Rabbit and Bear has appointed a new representative director after the sad and untimely passing of its previous head.

Back in February, Suikoden and Eiyuden Chronicle creator Yoshitaka Murayama unfortunately died after an illness, and the studio has now confirmed who his replacement will be.

Designer and producer Junko Kawano, who worked with Murayama on the Suikoden series and who directed the cult 2001 classic adventure game Shadow of Destiny (also known as Shadow of Memories outside North America), will take over directorship of Rabbit and Bear.

Sabine saying "Good men know life is precious. Including their own." in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes by Rabbit and Bear
Never a truer word spoken, Sabine.

Kawano was one of the colleagues that delivered the sad news of Murayama's death in February, together with Junichi Murakami and Osamu Komuta.

The three said that although Murayama's death was tragic, they needed to "accept the reality" that he has passed and "push his dream forward" by releasing Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

What happens to Rabbit and Bear after that is currently unknown; the studio could push forward with another Suikoden-style RPG or create something new entirely. We'll have to wait and see what happens after Hundred Heroes' release later this month.

The main character running through a city in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes by Rabbit and Bear
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is getting close to release.

Junko Kawano takes on Rabbit and Bear's director's chair before the impending release of two major RPG projects on which she's worked: the aforementioned Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and the upcoming remasters of the first two Suikoden titles.

Unfortunately, the latter project still doesn't have a release date, having been delayed indefinitely last year in order to ensure the two games meet the "quality performance and gameplay experience" expectations that players have. Hey, Suikoden fans can wait a little longer, right? Right?

In the meantime, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is set to launch for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on April 24th. It's also arriving on Game Pass as a day one release, so you can check it out at no additional cost if you're a subscriber.

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