Team Ninja moves to clarify Ninja Gaiden / Dead or Alive ‘reboot’ reports

Team Ninja has told VGC that while it has enthusiasm for potential new Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive games, it currently has no news to share on the classic franchises.

The statement follows reports from the Korean press this weekend that the studio mentioned both games during a G-Star 2022 presentation, alongside a slide featuring the headline “reboots of popular series”.

According to Korean site Inven, studio head Fumihiko Yasuda reportedly said the studio was considering reviving both Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive during the G-Star panel.

However, elaborating on Yasuda’s comments in English, Team Ninja told VGC it had no specific details or information to share on its future plans for the series.

“Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden are both long-standing pillar franchises for Team Ninja. These celebrated titles are synonymous with our studio history and reputation,” creative director Tom Lee told VGC.

“It goes without saying that when speaking about the development of our past and future projects, both of these important titles cannot be left without mention. However, there are no details or information to share on either of these franchises at this present time.

“Like many of our dedicated fans, we share the enthusiasm for the return of these beloved titles. And we will be sure to provide a proper update (if and) when that day arrives.”

While Dead or Alive saw its latest mainline instalment released just three years ago, Ninja Gaiden fans have waited much longer for a new game.

The Tecmo action-adventure series hasn’t seen a mainline instalment since 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3. Fumihiko Yasuda, who was a level designer for Ninja Gaiden 2 and directed the series’ third instalment, has publicly stated his desire to revive the series multiple times.

In an interview with VGC that took place in January 2021, Yasuda told us that he had no plans for a new instalment in the Ninja Gaiden series, but stated his desire to one day return to the series.

Then earlier this year, he said that “all the pieces would need to fit” for a theoretical future Ninja Gaiden game to be developed, and expressed willingness to potentially outsource a new game to an external company or a younger internal team.

Team Ninja is currently planning to release two original action games in 2023; Feudal China-inspired Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and PlayStation 5 exclusive Rise of the Ronin.