Nioh developer Team Ninja has responded to rumours that it’s planning to reboot the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden franchises, indicating that we probably won’t see a revival anytime soon.
Speaking to VGC, Team Ninja’s creative director Tom Lee said that, despite showing both franchises at a conference under the heading “Reboot of popular series”, the studio has nothing to announce regarding new entries.
“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,” said Lee.
“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.”
Reboot rumours began after South Korean media outlet Ruliweb reported that Team Ninja president Fumihiko Yasuda showed both franchises at the G-Star conference in Busan. A slideshow image (above) appeared to indicate the developer was looking to reboot its “popular series”, with Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden being used as examples.
While it’s perhaps most recently known for the Nioh franchise and upcoming Souls-like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Team Ninja did release Dead or Alive 6 in 2019, perhaps making a reboot somewhat unusual.
Ninja Gaiden, on the other hand, may be a more fitting target. Arguably most popular as a trilogy of NES games, the franchise was rebooted previously in 2004 but, outside of countless spin-offs, has once again fallen dormant.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
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