„It’s hard to believe”. Tomonobu Itagaki, father of the Dead or Alive series and the modern Ninja Gaiden, has passed away

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Tomonobu Itagaki, the 58-year-old Japanese video game designer famous for creating the *Dead or Alive* and *Ninja Gaiden* series, has died. The news was shared today by a friend who posted Itagaki’s final message on his personal Facebook page.

My time is coming to an end. If you’re reading this, it means I’m gone. This is my final message, meant for someone I love very much.

My life has been full of challenges, but I’ve always come out on top. I’ve definitely made my share of mistakes, but I stand by what I believe in and take responsibility for my actions. I don’t regret anything. My only regret is letting down my fans by not being able to share my new work with them.

Sorry. It is what it is.

Tomonobu Itagaki, born in Tokyo in 1967, began his career in the gaming industry at age 25 when he joined Tecmo. He first gained prominence as the director of the 1996 fighting game, *Dead or Alive*. Following that, he primarily focused on developing subsequent installments in the *Dead or Alive* series, up to the fourth game, and also created three games in the *Ninja Gaiden* series.

After leaving Tecmo in 2008 following a dispute over a bonus, Itagaki worked on the game *Devil’s Third* at Valhalla Game Studio. He later established Itagaki Games in 2021, but the studio didn’t release any games before closing.

I was really shocked and saddened to hear the news today, and it was confirmed on Bluesky by James Mielke, who’s a former journalist and helped create BitSummit. He was close to the developer, saying he felt like a brother, and that the news absolutely devastated him. He also shared that they were working on a book together, and he’s committed to getting it published in his friend’s memory.

I’m heartbroken to share that I lost someone who felt more like a brother than a friend. It’s incredibly difficult, but I’m confirming this now as it was posted on his Facebook page, where he even identified himself as my brother. Those who know me understand how incredibly close we were.

Rest in peace, senpai. You will always be a ninja.

Katsuhiro Harada, the developer of the Tekken series, also expressed his sorrow on X.

I’m deeply saddened to hear that Itagaki-san, a senior from my university and a friendly rival in our creative fields, has passed away. His last message to me was a cheerful invitation to grab a drink and have some fun together soon. It’s hard to accept that he’s gone at the young age of 58.

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2025-10-16 15:32