Team Ninja currently has no plans to revisit the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises, based on the latest information.
During a recent interview, Masakazu Hirayama, Producer/Director of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty at Team Ninja, was asked whether there any plan for studio to return to its classic franchises, such as Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. He responded by saying that, while we have no plans at the moment, both IPs are important to Team Ninja. Therefore, the development team is always considering the possibility.
Hirayama started as a game designer on the Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge team, then worked on the Dead or Alive series, the Dissidia Final Fantasy series, and as director on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. As such, he is no stranger to the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series.
The most recent entry in the Ninja Gaiden series, Ninja Gaiden 3, is a 2012 action-adventure hack and slash game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei. It serves as the sequel to Ninja Gaiden II and was globally launched for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in March. A revised edition titled Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge was released later that year, initially for the Wii U by Nintendo and subsequently made available on various platforms. For the first time in the modern series, Ninja Gaiden 3 was not directed by Tomonobu Itagaki, the former franchise director. Fumihiko Yasuda and Yosuke Hayashi took over as directors.
The game featured new gameplay mechanics, including the “Steel on Bone”, enabling players to execute slow-motion sequences to cut through enemies. Additionally, a new climbing mechanic called Kunai Climb allowed the protagonist, Ryu, to scale specific walls and attack enemies from above. Stealth elements were incorporated, enabling players to sneak up on enemies for stealth kills. Enemies now vocalize during combat and display prolonged suffering when injured, though decapitation and dismemberment were replaced by bleeding and weakening.
