Tomonobu Itagaki, founder of video game developer Team Ninja and known for his work on the Dead or Alive fighting games and 3D Ninja Gaiden revival, has passed away at the age of 58. Itagaki’s passing was confirmed in a post on his Facebook account, which also shared his parting words. Forever clad in a black leather jacket, Itagaki was known in the industry and to fans as an outspoken creator. After joining Tecmo in the early '90s, he founded Team Ninja in 1995 and went on to produce and direct games like Dead or Alive 1-4 , Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball and several Ninja Gaiden games, the latter of which were renowned for their difficulty and visceral action. Itagaki eventually left Team Ninja in 2008 to form Valhalla Game Studios, where he directed Devil’s Third . He then established Itagaki Games in 2021, but no games have been released under that banner. Tekken series director Katsuhiro Harada, who has long held a friendly rivalry with Itagaki, shared a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter) along with an English translation of Itagaki’s final post. Itagaki’s final message (English translation): Words I Leave Behind The flame of my life is finally about to go out. If this message has been posted, it means that 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 series of battles. And I kept on winning. I know I caused trouble for many along the way. But I followed my convictions and fought to the very end. I have no regrets. Only one thing weighs on me — I’m deeply sorry to all my fans that I couldn’t bring you a new work. I truly am. That’s just how it is. So it goes. Tomonobu Itagaki Katsuhiro Harada’s tribute: It’s hard to believe, but Itagaki-san…my senior from university and my rival as a creator has passed away. The last message I ever received from him was, “Let’s go drinking. Let’s make some noise soon!” To think that he’s gone at just 58 years old… Yes, everyone dies eventually …that’s inevitable. But you… isn’t it a bit too soon? Didn’t you say you were going to defeat me someday? Didn’t you come to my wedding, wearing your usual black leather jacket and sunglasses, and call me your comrade-in-arms? Didn’t you tell me to come to you whenever I was in trouble? I never even got the chance to consult you about anything. Honestly… I’m really depressed. Team Ninja also shared condolences : We are deeply saddened by the passing of Team NINJA's first leader, Tomonobu Itagaki. We will carry on the philosophy and creativity that Itagaki-san began and continue to create games that many gamers will enjoy. Our deepest condolences for his loss. From everyone at Team NINJA Other fellow developers continue to share thoughts of their own, including Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai , who said, “May his soul rest in peace.” Tomonobu Itagaki will be missed, and our thoughts are with his friends, family and colleagues. Sources: Tomonobu Itagaki on Facebook , Katsuhiro Harada on X (formerly Twitter)
