Satoru Iwata, CEO of Nintendo of Japan and Nintendo of America, as well as President of the Board of Directors, passed away on July 11th, 2015 due to a bile duct growth. Iwata had previously missed scheduled meetings and other work related events due to health concerns, most of which we were understood publicly to now be in the past. That may have been too much of an optimistic viewpoint given his untimely death.

He helped create the Kirby series and played key roles in games such as EarthBound and Balloon Fight. He also performed minor roles over the years in series such as Mario and yes, even The Legend of Zelda – a series we’re fairly close to. Iwata was 55 years old.

You will be forever missed. It is unclear at this time who will take over his responsibilities in the near future.

Source: Nintendo