Masayuki Kato, Founder Of Nihon Falcom, Has Passed Away

Executive served as Chairman until his passing

by · Nintendo Life
Image: Nihon Falcom

Masayuki Kato, the founder of Japanese developer Nihon Falcom, has sadly passed away the age of 78, the company has announced.

Kato founded the company back in 1981 and, as highlighted by our friends over at Time Extension, chose the name 'Falcom' as a play on the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars, ultimately adding in 'Nihon' as he felt the single word title wasn't quite enough on its own.

He would then serve as the company's president until 2001 when he was succeeded by Shinji Yamazaki. Current president Toshihiro Kondo then took over the role in 2007. Despite this, Kato would remain as Chairman of the board of directors for Nihon Falcom until his passing on 15th December 2024.

A funeral will take place for close relatives, and the company has stated that no flowers, offerings, incense, or telegrams will be accepted at this time. A farewell party will also be planned for the future, though further details on this have not been shared at this time.

Nihon Falcom has become a tentpole developer within Japan and is perhaps best known for its work on franchises such as Ys, The Legend of Heroes, Dragon Slayer, and Sorcerian. Dragon Slayer in particular has been highlighted as having set the template for the action-RPG genre.

Our thoughts are with Kato's family and friends.

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[source falcom.co.jp, via timeextension.com]

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Comments 27

Well, that's sad. I'm glad he lived a good, long life, but Falcom is one of my favorite developers and this news just bites.

I'm really not very familiar with him or his work but it's always sad to see a good person go. RIP.

Haven't played any of his games yet (looking forward to doing so when I can) but still, sad to hear this and condolences to his family!

RIP, Kato, Falcom is the best third party dev on switch, imo, really enjoyed all the trails and Ys games on switch.
He is in the credits of the latest entries, trails daybreak and Ys Nordics.

Faxanadu was one of my favorite games as a kid. I’ve finished it a number of times over the years and the nostalgia is still strong. Thank you for these great memories.

Rest in peace Kato-San and may Nihon Falcom prosper.

Thanks Kato-San for helping to give life to one of my most favourite game companies.

I'm glad I was able to make a really nice video about Nihon Falcom ages ago and mention the beginning of it too.

ahh... I became an Ys fan relatively recently. I had a lot of fun playing through the whole series last year.
He created some lovely games for us all, many of which helped define the Japanese RPG genre in the early days.

@EarthboundBenjy, I would say Falcom's quality is as good as some Nintendo games,
My 3 favourite Falcom games are Trails Daybreak, Ys VIII and Trails Azure.

Gods, this is sad, but what a treasure he leaves behind. Falcom’s success and legacy continue to grow and grow, and I’m glad he got to see so much of it. For those of us who have been enjoying their games for many years, and for those who have only recently found them or will find them, I hope we continue to do so for a long time yet, and remember him when we do. Thank you for the memories.

A life well lived. I always loved how Falcom games had a different swing to them than the other adventures of the day. Definitely going to blare the Ys I & II TGCD OSTs today.

Rest in peace, Kato-san. Nihon Falcom has given rise to one of my favorite action RPG series: Ys. I'm currently playing through the newly minted Ys X on Switch. I hope to one day try out the Trails subseries of The Legend of Heroes too.

@Tyranexx Ys VIII was excellent too, I really enjoyed that game.

Sad news. I really enjoy the Ys series, starting with Ys I and II. I don't know what it was about this series that kept calling me... It could have been the ease of play, simple story... dunno. I'm sure I would've loved Dragon Slayer, and I'm this close to formally diving into The Legend of Heroes (Trails). But, by extension, I have to give thanks to Kato-san being responsible for adding to my gaming life. May he rest in peace.

F.
Thanks for the Ys series.

May he rest in peace. Thanks for all your hard work mister Kato.

@xenobladexfan Ys VIII is what originally got me into the series! I've played most modern/canon entries since then. I just have Ys IX: Monstrum Nox left after Ys X: Nordics.

Rest in Power. I feel like Falcom doesn't really get the name recognition it deserves, at least in the west, but I love their games.

@Tyranexx, I really enjoyed the music and the story, also the characters were excellent too, the game is equally good as some triple A titles imo,
Falcom games are underrated, I only realised how good they are, when i tried Trails of Cold Steel III Nintendo switch in 2022.

Sincere condolences to Falcom for their loss and I hope they continue to support Nintendo with good games,

Rest in peace, and thank you for founding my favorite developer.

At least he left a legacy of great games behind him. Godspeed and may the road rise with you. RIP.

Very sad... may he rest in peace.

78 is too soon. This man is responsible for one of the strongest lineup of games ever made under a single name and serves as inspiration for countless others. Thanks for everything you've done.

@xenobladexfan Falcom games are very much underrated in my opinion - at least what I've played of them. Lacrimosa of Dana is my favorite in terms of plot. I quite like the gameplay as well, even if I think the gameplay is tied with the top-down system present in both Ys: The Oath In Felghana and Ys Origin.

Farewell, grandfather of JRPG

That's a shame to hear. The company he founded brought us many great games. I've recently been playing a lot of Falcom's older games, even rediscovering an old favorite, the Legacy of the Wizard (aka Dragon Slayer 4).

Best wishes for the Falcom team going into the future.

Sadly all these icons and legends are getting to the same age.

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