Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive Director Tomonobu Itagaki Has Passed Away

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Tomonobu Itagaki, the creator of the *Dead or Alive* fighting game series, has died at the age of 58. The news was shared on social media by a close friend, using a message Itagaki had prepared before his passing, as reported by Automaton Media.

The message says, “My life is ending.” It explains that because this message is being sent, it means the writer has passed away. They are no longer with us, and had asked someone close to them to share these final words.

I lived a life full of challenges, and I always found a way to overcome them. I wasn’t always easy on others, and I admit I caused some problems. I’m proud of fighting for what I believed in, right to the very end. I don’t regret my choices, but I am truly saddened that I couldn’t create more for my fans. I apologize. That’s just how things are.

I’ve been following Itagaki’s work for ages – he was a huge part of the classic *Ninja Gaiden* and *Dead or Alive* games at Koei Tecmo, plus a bunch of other cool stuff. He left a few years back to start his own studio, Valhalla Game Studios, but that didn’t last. Then, in 2021, he launched Itagaki Games. He’s always been really passionate about creating totally new game worlds for PC and consoles, and that’s what he’s been focusing on with his own companies.

He started at Tecmo in 1992 as a graphics programmer, initially working on Tecmo Super Bowl. His career took off with the development of the first *Dead or Alive* game, which was built using the same arcade technology as Virtua Fighter. This project marked a significant turning point for him.

By 2001, Itagaki was leading Team Ninja, and in 2004, he became a company executive. He contributed to every main Dead or Alive game through Dead or Alive 4, as well as other titles like Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, Super Swing Golf, and the horror game Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly.

He was a key figure in the development of the *Ninja Gaiden* series, driven by his vision for action-packed, violent gameplay. The first game appeared on the original Xbox, followed by an enhanced version called *Ninja Gaiden Black*. He later created *Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword* for the Nintendo DS. Shortly before the release of *Ninja Gaiden 2* in 2008, he left Tecmo and filed a lawsuit against them over unpaid bonuses.

Tomonobu Itagaki is survived by his wife and daughter, who greatly inspired his work on *Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword*. Throughout his career, he contributed to many games, most recently as Supreme Advisor on the 2020 title *Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time*. Prior to that, he directed *Devil’s Third* in 2015.

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2025-10-16 16:42