Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the game designer behind the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun (River City) franchises, died on April 2, 2026. He was 64. His death was confirmed by his son, Ryūbō Kishimoto, on Facebook and Twitter/X.
“This is the son of Yoshihisa Kishimoto,” Ryūbō wrote. “I am sorry to inform you that my father has passed to rest on 04/02/2026… I hope you will continue to enjoy my father’s works, including Kuno-kun. Thank you.” In a follow-up post, he thanked fans for their messages, writing that he was “truly delighted to learn that there are people around the world who have played the Kunio-kun series extensively.”
Career and legacy
Kishimoto began his career at Data East, working on laserdisc games, before joining Technōs Japan alongside former colleagues. It was there that he developed the games he would become known for. His early designs drew on personal experience, as well as the martial arts films of Bruce Lee, particularly Enter the Dragon.
In 1986, Kishimoto created Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, released internationally as Renegade, the first entry in the River City series. His team at Technōs followed it with Double Dragon, which became one of the defining beat-em-ups of the arcade era. The series spawned sequels and spin-offs across arcades, the NES, SNES, and PlayStation over the following decade. Its cooperative two-player format helped establish the template for the side-scrolling brawler genre.
Kishimoto eventually left Technōs, citing a desire to move beyond the same franchises and frustration with declining investment in game development at the studio. He subsequently worked independently under the name Plophet, producing original work and consulting on other projects. His final directorial credit was Double Dragon IV (2017), published by Arc System Works after it acquired the Double Dragon license from Technōs.
Lasting influence
The Kunio-kun series alone spans more than 40 games released between 1986 and the present day. WayForward revived the franchise in 2019 with River City Girls, which led to a sequel in 2022 and introduced Kishimoto’s characters to a new generation of players. Arc System Works continues to publish new entries in both the River City and Double Dragon lineups.
Ryūbō Kishimoto stated that a private funeral for his father took place the day after the announcement was made.