Tomonobu Itagaki, Ninja Gaiden creator, dies at 58

Tomonobu Itagaki, the Japanese game director best known for creating the Ninja Gaiden reboot and the Dead or Alive fighting series, has died at 58, according to a message published on his official Facebook page on October 16 and confirmed by friends and colleagues. The post, presented as a final statement prepared before his death and shared by a loved one, indicated that Itagaki was no longer alive. No further details have been released about the circumstances of his death.

In the translated message posted on his account, Itagaki wrote that his "light of life is finally fading" and asked that the note be shared when the time came. He described his life as "a series of battles" that he had "kept winning" and said he had "no regrets." He added that he felt regret for not delivering a new game to his fans and apologized for that shortfall.

Friends and industry figures confirmed and mourned his passing on social media. James Mielke, a longtime friend and cofounder of a Japanese games festival, wrote that he had lost someone "truly like a brother" and said he was "gutted to the core." Mielke also said he had recorded several hours of conversations with Itagaki last year for a...