Nintendo Co. Ltd chief executive Satoru Iwata has died of cancer, months after he led the Japanese video-game maker’s belated entry into mobile gaming following years of declining sales. He was 55.

The death of the hands-on CEO and president, announced by Nintendo yesterday, comes at a critical time for the company which is betting that its new smartphone tie-up with online game maker DeNA will help make up for declining console sales.

The company did not announce a replacement but Genyo Takeda, senior managing director and one of the lead developers of Nintendo’s Wii console, will lead the committee for Iwata’s funeral – a sign he could be taking on the leadership role.

Iwata had surgery in June last year to remove a growth in his bile duct and had returned to work. He attended an annual shareholders’ meeting on June 26, but his condition suddenly deteriorated in the last few days, Nintendo said.

Iwata’s main legacy was broadening the appeal of video games with the bestselling Wii, which included fitness titles and fantasy battles. Gaming fans took to Twitter to mourn his death, and even rival Sony Corp.’s PlayStation account said: “Thank you for everything, Mr Iwata.”

Iwata, who became president in 2002 at the relatively young age of 42, was the first CEO from outside the founding Yamauchi family.