Rieko Kodama, the legendary Sega developer also known as Phoenix Rie, has died at 58.
was spotted in the credits of Mega Drive Mini 2, before Sega producer Yosuke Okunari confirmed that she had died earlier this year."As you understand it," Okunari replied to a tweet asking if Kodama had died."We respected her."
Sega declined to share any further details out of respect for the family, with a translation from IGN Japan reading:"We pray that the deceased will rest in peace, and we offer our gratitude for her enormous contributions to Sega." Kodama was a renowned developer at Sega, and a pioneer in the roleplaying game space. She began her career in 1984, getting her start as an artist on iconic classics like Alex Kidd and Fantasy Zone. She later contributed to games like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Skies of Arcadia, but is perhaps best known for her work on the Phantasy Star series, working her way up to director by Phantasy Star 4. Rieko Kodama passed away on May 9, 2022.