Veteran artist and graphic designer Takashi Iwade, best known for his work on the long-running Panzer Dragoon series at Sega, has passed away.

Game dev and writer James Mielke, who met Iwade while researching Panzer Dragoon for a feature, shared the news on Twitter earlier today.

He explained Iwade was one of the lead enemy designers on Panzer Dragoon Saga, and also one of the few people to have worked on most entries in the franchise, which began back in 1995.

When he wasn't working on Panzer Dragoon, Iwade also lent his talents to a number of other titles including Yakuza: 0, Sega Rally 2 Championship, and Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. He was described by Mielke as a "cheerful and kind person," who went out of his way to help and include others.