Team Ninja Hints at 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 has teased some exciting plans for the developer's milestone 30th anniversary. As a subsidiary of Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja is renowned for its hack-and-slash action games, particularly the iconic Ninja Gaiden franchise. The studio is also celebrated for its Dead or Alive fighting game series, though fans have been eagerly awaiting a new mainline entry since the release of Dead or Alive 6 in 2019.

While Team Ninja is best known for these franchises, the developer has also ventured into the realm of action soulslike RPGs in recent years. The Nioh series, set in the Edo period, has been a standout success in this genre. Additionally, Team Ninja collaborated with Square Enix on the Final Fantasy prequel, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and released Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a historical fantasy soulslike inspired by Chinese mythology. In 2024, the studio launched Rise of the Ronin, a PlayStation 5 exclusive action RPG that garnered significant critical acclaim. As we approach 2025, Team Ninja has hinted at its plans for the year, coinciding with the studio's 30th anniversary.

In a round-up of Japanese developer ambitions by 4Gamer.net (as reported by Gematsu), Team Ninja's Fumihiko Yasuda discussed the studio's plans for the upcoming year. Yasuda expressed the team's desire to release titles that are "fitting for the occasion." Although he remained vague about the specific games, speculation points towards potential new entries or updates to Team Ninja's flagship franchises, Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden. "In 2025, Team Ninja will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and we hope to announce and release titles fitting for the occasion," Yasuda stated.

Team Ninja's Potential Plans in 2025

Most recently, Ninja Gaiden is set to make a comeback in 2025, as announced at The Game Awards 2024 in December. Koei Tecmo and Dot Emu are collaborating on a new side-scrolling entry titled Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. This game aims to merge the classic 8-bit era gameplay and difficulty with modern elements that echo the 3D entries in the series. The last mainline Ninja Gaiden game, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, released in 2014, was a divisive zombie-themed title.

The other iconic IP associated with Team Ninja, Dead or Alive, has not seen a new mainline fighting game since Dead or Alive 6 in 2019. The franchise has only received spin-offs like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Scarlet and Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme in recent years. Fans are hopeful that Dead or Alive will receive some attention from Team Ninja in 2025, especially given the studio's 30th anniversary. Additionally, there is a strong desire among fans for the Nioh series to be further developed this year.

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