The statement reads:
Regrettably this news is not entirely surprising. In fact, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata was forced to skip E3 2014 due to poor health, and later underwent surgery to remove prior bile duct growth.
Satoru Iwata has made many great contributions to Nintendo since he joined the company 35 years ago. In his early years of developing games, he helped develop some of the classics Nintendo fans love enjoying today, such as Mother 2 — which later became Earthbound with the Western port.
Of course, let’s not forget his successes with Kirby and Animal Crossing!
President Iwata has pioneered the way through 3 stunning generations of Nintendo consoles, and he will be sorely missed.
