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

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I was really bummed to hear that Tomonobu Itagaki, the guy behind Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive – and always rocking those sunglasses – has passed away. He was a huge influence on action games, and I’ll definitely remember his work.

A post on Facebook first broke the news, but it seems been corroborated by James Mielke on Bluesky.

The original social media post reads, as translated by Google:

“Last Words

The light of my life is finally fading.

Okay, so if you’re seeing this, it means I’m gone. I’ve officially logged out of this game, so to speak. My character’s no longer active in the world.

(I’m asking a loved one to make this final post.)

My life has been a series of battles. I kept winning.

I’ve caused a lot of trouble, too.

I’m proud to say that I followed my beliefs and fought to the end.

I have no regrets.

However, I’m filled with regret that I wasn’t able to deliver a new work to all my fans. I’m sorry.

That’s just how it is.

So, it goes.

Itagaki Tomonobu”

James Mielke has since confirmed the news with the following heart-felt post:

Tomonobu Itagaki will be best known for his bold personality and his contributions to iconic games such as Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive.

Although he often favored Xbox over PlayStation, his contributions to the gaming world will be fondly remembered by players everywhere.

It’s especially sad that he passed away right before the release of Ninja Gaiden 4 from PlatinumGames, though he wasn’t involved in its development.

We’d like to express our very best wishes to Itagaki’s friends and family at this difficult time.

Thanks for the many, many great memories!

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2025-10-16 11:07