Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of Dead or Alive and modern Ninja Gaiden, dies at 58: “I kept winning”

The video game world mourns today the death of Tomonobu Itagaki, designer, director, and producer, creator of some of the most influential sagas of the modern era, such as Dead or Alive and the rebirth of Ninja Gaiden as a benchmark for 3D action games. Born in Tokyo in 1967, Itagaki passed away at the age of 58 at an undetermined but recent date, leaving behind a legacy marked by his talent, his indomitable character, and his vision of video games as both a challenge and an art form.

His career began at Tecmo in 1992, where he soon stood out for his perfectionism. As leader of Team Ninja, he revolutionized the action genre with an unmistakable style: fast combat, surgical precision, and a difficulty level that was as feared as it was admired. In 2008, following a dispute with the company, he left Tecmo and founded Valhalla Game Studios, with the ambition of maintaining his creative freedom, although with little luck when it came to execution. Later, in 2021, he returned with Itagaki Games, exploring new projects and international collaborations.

Throughout his professional life, Itagaki was controversial, direct, and passionate, someone who spoke with the same intensity with which he designed. In interviews, he argued that “a game must respect the player through challenge,” a philosophy that permeated all his works. His figure, always dressed in leather and dark glasses, became an icon of the irreverent Japanese developer who was proud of his way of doing things.

Shortly before his death, he left behind a text that he asked to be published when the time came. His message encapsulates what he has been, what he is, and what he will be in the memory of those of us who have followed his career and played his games:

The flame of my life is finally about to be extinguished. The fact that this message has been posted means that time has finally come. I am no longer in this world.

(I have entrusted this final post to someone important.)

My life was a continuous battle. I kept winning.

I caused a lot of trouble for others too.

I take pride in having fought to the end, following my convictions.

I have no regrets.

Only, I am filled with regret that I could not deliver new works to all my fans. I’m sorry.

That’s how it is.

So it goes.

Tomonobu Itagaki

Today, we remember Itagaki not only for his games, but also for his approach to creation as a constant challenge, always striving for perfection, always seeking to fill his fans with pride. His light has gone out, but his legacy, as he himself would say, “take pride in having fought to the end.” Reactions are beginning to pour in, one of the most significant being that of his friend and rival, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada:

The studio he founded, Team Ninja, has also offered its heartfelt condolences:

Rest in peace.

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