The games industry mourns the passing of the legendary Tomonobu Itagaki

No way, Itagaki-san
you said, “Let’s grab a drink sometime,” didn’t you?
I don’t believe it. I don’t.

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) October 16, 2025

saw Tomonobu Itagaki has passed away— a rare breed of ronin auteur developer; uncompromising, chaotic, unforgettable

I grew up inspired by his work and had a few chances to encounter him in the E3 halls… May his influence burn in every creator who still believes in going all in pic.twitter.com/rl26OwyKOL

— James Montagna (@JamesPopStar) October 16, 2025

RIP Tomonobu Itagaki, the legendary creator of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. Here’s a video from 17 years ago where I interviewed him about Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox 360. pic.twitter.com/Wqgzo6cFad

— Danny Peña (@godfree) October 16, 2025

I’m shocked & saddened to hear of the passing of Tomonobu Itagaki, who helmed not just the Dead or Alive series but, more notably to me, the Ninja Gaiden revivals on Xbox & Xbox 360.

Ninja Gaiden – especially NG Black – remain perfect. I reviewed NG2 for OXM. RIP Itagaki-san 🥷 pic.twitter.com/fKAtrt0pTW

— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) October 16, 2025

Rest in peace, Tomonobu Itagaki. Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden made an undeniable impact on gaming. I only crossed paths with him a few times, but he could not have been nicer. pic.twitter.com/noQFQCe2rk

— Ed Boon (@noobde) October 16, 2025