Team Ninja Unveils 30th Anniversary Celebrations

Summary

• Team Ninja teases big plans for its 30th anniversary.
• Beyond Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, the studio has developed other successful soulslike RPGs, including the Nioh series and collaborations with Square Enix.
• Fans speculate what releases could be coming in 2025 from Team Ninja.

Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja studio is gearing up for a significant milestone as it celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025. Renowned for its iconic hack-and-slash action games, Team Ninja is a subsidiary of Koei Tecmo and is best known for the Ninja Gaiden franchise. Another hallmark of the studio is the Dead or Alive fighting game series, which, however, hasn't seen a new mainline entry since 2019.

While Team Ninja has a strong legacy in these franchises, the studio has expanded into the realm of action soulslike RPGs in recent years. The Nioh series, set during the Edo period, has been a standout success. Additionally, Team Ninja's collaboration with Square Enix resulted in the Final Fantasy prequel, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. They also ventured into Chinese mythology with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and 2024 saw the release of the critically acclaimed PlayStation 5 exclusive, Rise of the Ronin. As 2025 approaches, Team Ninja has hinted at exciting plans for their anniversary year.

In a recent feature by 4Gamer.net on Japanese developers' future ambitions, as reported by Gematsu, Team Ninja's Fumihiko Yasuda shared insights into the studio's plans. He expressed hopes of releasing titles that would be "fitting for the occasion" of their 30th anniversary. Although Yasuda remained vague about specifics, speculation leans towards new entries or significant updates in the Dead or Alive or Ninja Gaiden franchises. Yasuda stated, "In 2025, Team Ninja will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and we hope to announce and release titles fitting for the occasion."

Team Ninja's Potential Plans in 2025

Exciting news for Ninja Gaiden fans came at The Game Awards 2024, where Koei Tecmo and Dot Emu announced a new side-scrolling game, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. This title aims to merge the classic 8-bit gameplay and challenging difficulty of the series with modern elements reminiscent of the 3D entries. The last mainline Ninja Gaiden game, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, released in 2014, was met with mixed reactions due to its zombie theme.

Meanwhile, the Dead or Alive franchise, which last saw a mainline fighting game with Dead or Alive 6 in 2019, has been kept alive with spin-offs like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Scarlet and Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme. Fans are eagerly anticipating a new mainline entry or significant update for Dead or Alive to celebrate Team Ninja's 30th anniversary. Additionally, there is a strong desire among fans for new developments in the Nioh series.

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