Tomonobu Itagaki, Creator of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, Dies at 58 — Final Facebook Post Shares His Last Message

Tomonobu Itagaki, the director behind the Dead or Alive series and the 2004 action game Ninja Gaiden, has died at the age of 58. The announcement appeared as a post titled “Last Words” on Itagaki’s Facebook page, and an English translation of his final note was shared by his friend James Mielke on Instagram.

1. Itagaki’s final message
2. Career highlights
3. Departure from Tecmo and later studios
4. Katsuhiro Harada’s response
5. Sources and links

Itagaki’s final message

Itagaki’s passing was announced via a post titled “Last Words” on his Facebook page. The post was presented as a final note and included the following passage in English, reproduced here exactly as written:

“The flame of my life is finally about to go out,” Itagaki wrote, according to an English-language translation of his final note posted by friend (and occasional Polygon contributor) James Mielke on Instagram. “If this message has been posted, that means 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 constant battle. And I kept on winning. I also caused a lot of trouble along the way. I take pride in having fought through it all, following my own convictions. I have no regrets. I only feel deep sorrow that I couldn’t deliver a new work to all my fans. That’s just how it is.” Itagaki ended the message in English, quoting the author Kurt Vonnegut’s response to any death in his novel Slaughterhouse Five: “So it goes.”

Career highlights

Key facts: Itagaki joined Tecmo in 1992. He directed the original Dead or Alive, released in 1996. His team was named Team Ninja in 1999. In 2004, his team released Ninja Gaiden, a new entry in an older Tecmo series.

Over his career, Itagaki was credited as the creator of the Dead or Alive fighting series and as director on several games. The Dead or Alive Xtreme spin-off series also originated under his direction.

Departure from Tecmo and later studios

In 2008, Itagaki left Tecmo and Team Ninja after a dispute over unpaid bonuses. After his departure, he founded Valhalla Game Studios with other former Team Ninja staff. That studio released one title, the 2015 Wii U action game Devil’s Third, and was later dissolved.

He also founded Itagaki Games, which had not released a game as of the time of his death.

Katsuhiro Harada’s response

Katsuhiro Harada, producer of the Tekken series and long-time rival, posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) responding to the news. In January, Harada had described the rivalry and said Itagaki told him the public “beef” was partly a marketing ploy. After news of Itagaki’s death, Harada posted the following message:

“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.”

Hmm, I’m not sure how you perceive my relationship with Mr. Itagaki, but I can tell you it’s likely different from what you imagine.

Let me provide a general overview and some key topics regarding my history with Mr. Itagaki.

However, consider this a warning.

What follows is… https://t.co/zoq7T460nG

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) January 28, 2025

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… https://t.co/38uTQO6CRw pic.twitter.com/rd5YpWZ5Qi

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) October 16, 2025

Sources and links

The original announcement appeared on Itagaki’s Facebook page. The English translation of his final note was shared on Instagram by James Mielke; the translation post can be seen on James Mielke’s Instagram.

Facts above are based on the public statements and posts linked in this article.