Who is Tomonobu Itagaki? Legendary developer and creator of ‘Ninja Gaiden’ and ‘Dead or Alive’, dies at 58

Renowned Japanese video game designer, director, and producer Tomonobu Itagaki has passed away at the age of 58. Itagaki is best known for creating fighting game series like Dead or Alive and reviving the Ninja Gaiden franchise.

​James Mielke, Itagaki’s close friend, announced the passing of the video game designer in a post on Instagram and Bluesky.

​Itagaki suffered from a serious illness that escalated severely in his final days. He had also shared a final message on Facebook just days before his death.

​Who is Tomonobu Itagaki?

​Born on May 1, 1967, Itagaki became a prominent figure in the gaming industry during his time at Tecmo. He joined the company in 1992 and worked there till 2008, where he founded and led Team Ninja—the development studio responsible for some of the company’s most successful titles.

​Under his direction, Team Ninja produced Dead or Alive in 1996, a fighting game which became popular for its fast-paced mechanics, counter system, and controversial character design. He also led the reboot of the Ninja Gaiden classic action-adventure series for the Xbox in 2004.

​After leaving Tecmo, Itagaki founded a new studio with his several former Team Ninja members. He also formed another studio in 2021 and was preparing to develop a new title before his death.

​Itagaki’s Final Message Before His Death:

​In a post on Facebook, Itagaki wrote, ““The flame of my life is finally about to go out. If this message has been posted, that means the time has come – I am no longer in this world. (This final post has been entrusted to someone dear to me.) My life was a constant battle. And I kept on winning. I also caused a lot of trouble along the way. I take pride in having fought through it all, following my own convictions. I have no regrets. I only feel deep sorrow that I couldn’t deliver a new work to all my fans. That’s just how it goes. So it goes.”