Konami Code creator Kazuhisa Hashimoto has passed away at the age of 61

The man responsible for the most iconic cheat code in history has died.

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What you need to know

We’ve got some sad news to share today. Konami has confirmed via Twitter that Kazuhisa Hashimoto, the creator of the Konami Code, has died at age 61. The sequence he created, Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start, is known as the Konami Code.

We are saddened to hear about the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply talented producer who first introduced the world to the “Konami Code”.Our thoughts are with Hashimoto-san’s family and friends at this time. Rest In Peace.pic.twitter.com/vQijEQ8lU2We are saddened to hear about the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply talented producer who first introduced the world to the “Konami Code”.Our thoughts are with Hashimoto-san’s family and friends at this time. Rest In Peace.pic.twitter.com/vQijEQ8lU2— Konami (@Konami)February 26, 2020February 26, 2020

The Konami Code is easily the most well-known video game cheat code of all time. The first game it appeared in was Gradius, a sidescrolling title that released in 1985. Since then, it’s found uses in countless Konami titles, such as the Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid series, as well as games not developed or published by Konami.

We are saddened to learn of Hashimoto’s passing. Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this time.

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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.