The team at Rabbit & Bear Studios is continuing with the development of a new Eiyuden Chronicle sequel following the death of series creator Yoshitaka Murayama.
The studio opened up about its future and what’s next for the Eiyuden Chronicle series in a recent Reddit AMA conducted with Studio Head and Character Designer Junko Kawano, Director and System Designer Osamu Komuta, and Art Director and Producer Junichi Murakami. With the release of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes only days away, fans were quick to ask about how the team might continue without Murayama at the helm. Rabbit & Bear acknowledges the unfortunate passing of their former studio head but hopes to carry his legacy into the future.
“We are moving forward with a sequel,” the studio said. “It is very sad that Murayama is not with us anymore, but we have discussed many things with him. I hope we will be able to carry on Murayama's legacy, and I always want to treasure his last work. I hope many people will support this game.”
How exactly the series may continue depends on many factors, including how Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will sell when it launches next week. Rabbit & Bear says that it discussed some possibilities with Murayama before he passed.
Respecting the Suikoden creator means staying true to some of the design decisions he made during Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes’ development. When one Reddit user suggested Rabbit & Bear implement more options to save their progress, the studio explained how current the design sticks to Murayama’s vision. A limited autosave feature was eventually added in but only because the team felt it could be included without tweaking Murayama’s "concept of play.”
“Murayama always said that playing RPG dungeons is a game of resource management,” Rabbit & Bear said, “and that he wanted to create a tension level by clearly separating ‘preparation,’ in which players prepare equipment and items when they arrive in a new town, and ‘challenge,’ in which players take on new dungeons and enemies. The save point system allows saving only at specific locations in the dungeon, thereby creating a tension until you reach the save point, a satisfaction when reaching it, and a gradual relief when you do reach it.”
Murayama’s passing was announced on the Eiyuden Chronicle X/Twitter account earlier this year. At the time, the social media page revealed that the Rabbit & Bear head had passed on February 6, 2024, following complications with an ongoing illness.
One user took the AMA as an opportunity to not ask the team a question but, instead, pass along their thoughts and condolences following Murayama’s passing.
“Thank you very much, everyone,” Rabbit & Bear replied. “The sadness of our fans is being shared with the entire RB team. We are also one of you.”
The studio also explained that it was proud to have brought Murayama’s vision to life, going on to share some of the team’s fondest memories with him: “No matter how bad Murayama's mood or his health, he was always happy and smiling as soon as he saw the joy and excitement of his fans. I know that he loved you all.”
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes launches for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S, as well as Xbox Game Pass, on April 23.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
