Tomonobu Itagaki, the legendary creator of the Dead or Alive series, and creative mind behind the 2004 version of Ninja Gaiden, has passed away at the age of 58.

The news was shared on his personal Facebook page, and independently confirmed by members of the development community. The cause of death was not given.

The elegaic Facebook post was written by Itagaki to be shared in the event of his death.

Words to leave

The light of my life is about to run out.

The fact that this sentence has been posted means it’s finally time. I’m no longer in this world.

(This last post is asking someone special to me)

My life has been a series of battles. We stayed winning.

I’ve caused a lot of trouble.

I stand by my beliefs and I owe it.

No regrets.

I just feel so sorry to all my fans for not being able to deliver my new work. Sorry.

It is what it is.

So it goes.

Banobu Itagaki

Always wearing his signature sunglasses regardless of location, Itagaki was a legendary presence in the Japanese development scene. He joined Tecmo in 1992 and rose to become head of its development team, Team Ninja. He was producer and director of the first seven Dead or Alive games, and advised on other Tecmo titles.

After leaving the company in 2008, following the launch of Ninja Gaiden 2, he formed Valhalla Game Studios and released Devil’s Third in 2015 and 3DS title Momotaro Dentetsu 2017: Tachiagare Nippon in 2016. Valhalla closed in 2021 and he launched Itagaki Games, which had yet to release a title.

His departure from Tecmo was acrimonious, as recounted by our own Brandon Sheffield back in 2018. He sued the company and its president for unpaid bonuses, and later said the company had tricked him into releasing the PS2 version of Dead or Alive 2, which he said caused him to sink into alcoholic depression. In 2006, another Tecmo employee named him in allegations of sexual harassment, although Tecmo rebutted the claims following an internal investigation.

Never one to avoid the limelight, he brought his signature panache to Valhalla Games and was an outspoken presence through the development and launch of Devil’s Third.

Other developers have shared their grief and memories of Itagaki on social media. James Mielke, co-founder of BitSummit, wrote: “Today I lost someone who was truly like a brother to me. I am gutted to the core… He even listed himself as my actual brother on Facebook. Anyone who knows me knows how close we were. RIP, senpai. You will always be a ninja.”.