The gaming industry has suffered a devastating loss. Sega's legendary developer Rieko Kodama, aka Phoenix Rie, has died at the age of 58. The cause of death has not been specified.

As reported by IGN, Kodama passed away in May of this year, but her death was not announced until this week. Rumors began when a memorial message appeared in the credits of Mega Drive Mini 2, and Sega producer Yosuke Okunari confirmed her passing earlier this year. In response to a tweet asking if Kodama had passed away, Okunari said, "As you understand. We respected her."

Out of consideration for the bereaved family, Sega did not provide any further details: "We pray for the soul of the deceased and express our gratitude for her great contribution to Sega."

Sega also said that Kodama was "a great friend of ours.

Kodama was a well-known Sega developer and pioneer in the field of role-playing games. She began her career in 1984 and got her start as an artist with iconic classics such as "Alex Kidd" and "Fantasy Zone". She later contributed to games such as "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and "Skies of Arcadia," but is perhaps best known for her work on the "Phantasy Star" series, rising to the position of director for "Phantasy Star 4."

Kodama is also widely regarded for being one of the first prolific female developers, earning her the title "First Lady of RPGs." Her character designs were vibrant and varied, creating heroes for all to enjoy. As a woman herself," she once said in an interview (opens in new tab), "when I create games, I try not to make them just male fantasy characters who need to be saved. 'I want to create female characters that both men and women can relate to. But there are more and more strong-willed women in the game for women."

Sonic

Sonic co-creator Yuji Naka paid tribute to Kodama on Twitter. He wrote: "It has finally been announced that Rieko Kodama has passed away. I have fond memories of working with her on "Phantasy Star" and "Sonic". I attended the wake and the funeral, but I could not believe the suddenness of her passing. We wish her the best of luck." Sonic co-creator Hirokazu Yasuhara said he was "proud" to have worked with Kodama and added: "I still can't believe it, it's so sad."

Spelunky designer Derek Yu called her "a pioneering artist and designer of video games," and 8-4 creator John Ricciardi (opens in new tab) said she was "always very kind" and a "true legend in Japanese game development. A true legend in Japanese game development," said Necrosoft director Brandon Sheffield, one of the judges who presented Kodama with the Pioneer Award at GDC 2019, (opens in new tab) "She was and still is one of the greats," he said, reflecting on the award." When we presented her with the Lifetime Achievement Award at GDC, she was too ill to attend. At least it was nice to receive the award while she was still alive. I hope she knows how much her work means to everyone in the world. ......"