The legendary games developer Tomonobu Itagaki who was most famous for his work on Ninja Gaiden and Dead or alive has passed away at the age of 58. His cause of death has not been shared. Reports of his death were confirmed today by James Mielke on Bluesky, and tributes from across the industry have started pouring in.
Itagaki, who was known as an eccentric figure in the gaming world shared a post on his Facebook page with the following message (translated) which was then corroborated by the heartfelt post by James Mielke.
“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 for 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 that I can’t deliver my new work sorry. It is what it is. So it goes.”
Tomonobu Itagaki was famous for developing both Ninja Gaiden and the Dead or Alive franchise and also headed up Team Ninja for a number of years. Recognised for wearing his sunglasses at all times and for his outspoken attitude, he became somewhat of a legend in the Japanese development industry. He was also known for preferring the Xbox brand over that of PlayStation. Although he did not have any part in the development of Ninja Gaiden 4, it is a massive shame that he won’t get to see the release of the title on the 21st October.
Our condolences and thoughts are with Itagaki’s family and friends at this time.
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