Gaming Visionary Tomonobu Itagaki, Creator of Dead or Alive and Team Ninja Founder, Passes Away at 58

At the age of 58, the renowned game designer **Tomonobu Itagaki** has passed away. He gained fame for creating the **Dead or Alive** fighting game series and revitalizing the **Ninja Gaiden** franchise. The news of his death was shared in a social media post by someone close to **Itagaki**.

The post, titled «My Last Words,» mentions that the flame of **Itagaki’s** life was about to extinguish, and if the message is already published, it indicates that the time for the developer has come. No further details regarding the cause of death have been disclosed.

**Tomonobu Itagaki** was born in 1967 and joined **Tecmo** in 1992, where he began working on the graphics for **Tecmo Super Bowl**. He later made a name for himself as the creator of the **Dead or Alive** series. In the 2000s, **Itagaki** led the reboot of **Ninja Gaiden**, transitioning the franchise into 3D gameplay.

His career was not without challenges. For instance, in 2006, he lost his leadership position following allegations of harassment, although he was declared innocent by the court the following year. In 2008, he established **Valhalla Game Studios**, where he worked on the action-adventure game **Devil’s Third**. The company closed in 2021, after which **Itagaki** founded **Itagaki Games**, where he was dedicated to developing a new game.