Nintendo has just released a short statement to announce that Satoru Iwata, the President of Nintendo, has died.
The company revealed that Iwata, who is beloved by gamers worldwide, passed away on July 11, 2015 due to a bile duct growth.
Iwata couldn't make it to this year's E3 event and was in surgery to remove the bile.
Iwata was born December 6, 1959 and was appointed as Director of Nintendo in June 2000. He was later promoted to president in May 2002 and served in his role until June 2013, when he was elevated once again to CEO of Nintendo of America, Inc.
Iwata famously took a pay cut alongside other Nintendo executives, slashing his own pay in half, after poor fiscal results in 2013 due to the sales of the Wii U. The company has since climbed back under his direction, showing steady growth.
Iwata will be missed by all of us at Gameranx.
