Jenny Esson, one of the medical professionals who consulted on the development of Ninja Theory's Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, has passed away from COVID-19 at age 45. The studio noted her passing via Twitter.

Esson worked for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust's Recovery College, a facility dedicated to helping patients struggling with mental health when she assisted Ninja Theory in developing Hellblade.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Esson explained that "being involved, especially developing Senua's character, has been really important, and being able to bring in my perspective of what I see and what I hear, has been a real privilege."

Esson's family praised her strength of character in a statement to the BBC. "She would set off to change it as many of you in the trust know and have had her in your ear tenaciously driving her ideas forward," they stated. "She hated social injustice and stigmatizing of any kind."