Friday, December 12th, 2025

Tomonobu Itagaki Passes Away, Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada Delivers Eulogy

  

Tomonobu Itagaki, the visionary producer and creator of the Dead or Alive (DOA) and modern Ninja Gaiden series, passed away at age 58 from a serious illness back in October 2025. He leaves behind a memorable and significant legacy particularly in the fighting and action game genres. Itagaki's death was announced on October 16th through a poignant, pre-scheduled Facebook message, expressing pride in his work and passion for gaming. Katsuhiro Harada, the producer of the Tekken series, attended Itagaki's memorial service on November 27, 2025, and delivered a eulogy and provided some beautiful photos showing tributes and artwork (below).
 

 
On social media, Katsuhiro Harada acknowledged the passing of his friend and fellow game director Tomonobu Itagaki. Harada attending Itagaki's memorial service on November 27th was a poignant moment that likely contributed to his reflections on his own career and future. Itagaki was a prominent figure in the gaming industry, known for his strong personality and his work on the Ninja Gaiden reboot series. Despite a past rivalry between Dead or Alive and Tekken, Itagaki and Harada had buried the hatchet in 2008, with Harada referring to Itagaki as his "comrade in arms". Harada expressed his disbelief and sorrow at Itagaki's passing on X, recalling a promise to "grab a drink sometime".

 


 
 


 
 

 
Photo credit:  Katsuhiro Harada
 
The photos provided above were shared on social media by Katsuhiro Harada himself. Rest in peace, Itagaki. We would like to express our condolences to Itagaki's friends and family.
~TFG Webmaster, Frank Joseph | @Fighters_Gen

 

 

 

 

 

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 Source:  @Harada_TEKKEN              

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