Jason DittonTomonobu Itagaki, the outspoken former Tecmo creator of Dead or Alive and modern Ninja Gaiden fame, passed away earlier today, October 16th, 2025. The following message was left by one of his loved ones, was posted on his Facebook.
The following message was posted today on Itagaki’s Facebook page:
My Last Words
The light of my life is finally about to fade.
The fact that this message has been posted means that the time has come at last. I am no longer in this world.
(This final message was entrusted to someone dear to me.)
My life was a series of battles. I kept on winning.
I also caused a lot of trouble.
I take pride in having fought through to the end according to my own convictions.
I have no regrets.
However, I am filled with sorrow that I was unable to deliver a new work to my fans. I’m sorry.
That’s how it is.
So it goes.
—Tomonobu Itagaki
Not long after, Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken director and long time friendly rival of Itagaki, posted his feelings about the news on Twitter. The cause of Itagaki’s passing is, at the time of this writing, currently unknown.