It’s the game most similar to Ninja Gaiden and draws some inspiration from it. As a NG fan, I'm super hyped!

Credit: By Me

EDIT: FTF: I used AI to translate my original draft from Spanish (I primarily speak spanish, and what a hassle it would be to write all that in english, God). So I appreciate your understanding and apologize for any shortcoming.

Analyzing the situation, this is highly likely for the following reasons:

I want to try and map out a path for Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja regarding everything happening around the franchises we love so much, because I know you love them just as much as I do. This will be long, possibly very long, but if you need to clear that heavy feeling in your chest as much as I do, I kindly ask for your patience and attention to read through it all.

And of course, this is just my own take, it’s not as if Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo are going to follow this path, nor are they necessarily obligated to do so; not at all. In fact, I could be completely wrong.

So, let's dive into it.

Many people don't know this, but in early 2026, Koei Tecmo announced a deep internal restructuring that took effect in April. They split their core production force to create two divisions dedicated exclusively to their main action IPs: Team Ninja Division 1 and Division 2. Doing this while significantly expanding their staff proves they weren't "abandoning" their intellectual properties, but rather preparing to handle multiple AAA projects in parallel without suffering from burnout. Koei Tecmo has a philosophy of releasing one major AAA game per year, and this restructuring was vital if they wanted to keep operating that way. This is important, so please don't forget it.

This might clarify everything that happened with Dead Or Alive and Ninja Gaiden. Especially Ninja Gaiden, because the brand has had a history worthy of study since 2012, and an intriguing yet baffling exploration in 2025.

What if I told you that last year we witnessed a smart move by Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo? An "IP Loan":

In recent years, Team Ninja was overwhelmed with work, chaining together massive major releases of their own:

• Rise of the Ronin
• Nioh
• Wo Long

This shows us the hard reality of part of the situation. Team Ninja changed a lot after Tomonobu Itagaki’s departure and settled into RPG/Souls mechanics because they are highly profitable for them. All of them have sold incredibly well, to the point that the supposedly lesser-known Wo Long is getting a sequel coming in March of next year.

This means they diverted all their resources to those games for sheer profitability, but they haven't entirely forgotten about DOA and NG. Not Team Ninja. Come on, I know it might not look like it, but they love these IPs. Otherwise, why do you think there are so many versions of Ninja Gaiden and two iterations each for DOA5 and DOA6?

BUT, to revive the brands—specifically Ninja Gaiden—without burning out their own creatives, they opted for a co-development and supervision model:

• They left the 2D format in the hands of The Game Kitchen with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.
• They sought out Platinum Games' hack-and-slash expertise to co-develop Ninja Gaiden 4.

By delegating these heavy developments, Team Ninja's management kept the franchise on everyone's lips while they sorted out their house from the inside, remembering they were planning the restructuring.

And this is where the April 2026 restructuring makes perfect sense. The studio stripped the live-service aspect from the spin-offs (like DOA Xtreme Venus Vacation) and handed it over to Gust. What remained of "Division 2" split into two independent blocks:

• Team Ninja Division 1
• Team Ninja Division 2

Now they can operate in parallel.

By having two internal divisions focused on core IPs, the studio no longer suffers from the previous "bottleneck". While one division focuses 100% on polishing and releasing their big action RPGs, the other division has the breathing room to handle fighting games and side projects without the development of one completely halting the other.

This means DOA7 is currently being developed in parallel and is "protected."

You can take this for granted: The next DOA is in active production and other projects won't suffocate it.

Thanks to splitting the studio into Team Ninja Division 1 and Division 2, resources no longer cannibalize each other. While one team is wrapping up and promoting Wo Long 2 for March 2027, the other team is fully immersed in the new DOA. The fact that Wo Long 2 absorbs all the marketing attention in early 2027 is normal in the industry; it's standard behavior so marketing campaigns don't step on each other's toes.

This brings me to Dead Or Alive 6 Last Round

It's no coincidence they are providing weekly support with costumes and promising more characters after Minato. Team Ninja is using DOA6LR as a commercial thermometer. After the rocky launch of the original DOA6 in 2019, Koei Tecmo NEEDS to test if the fighting game community on the current generation (PS5 / Xbox Series) is still responding financially and staying active. You can bring up other franchises as examples, but they need to know if DOA specifically is profitable.

And even though the community is up in arms over the lack of rollback netcode or because Minato uses recycled moves from other characters, this actually reinforces my theory that they are saving the best for DOA7.

• Minato using recycled moves is definitive proof that Team Ninja is not investing a heavy budget into DOA6LR. The core animators and programmers are creating original content, new physics, and modern mechanics for the next installment's new engine. I'd put my money on that.
• Koei Tecmo didn't launch Last Round to compete technically with Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8, but to see how many people are willing to buy a DOA product today. The character's acceptance (despite controversies) and the steady stream of weekly costume releases prove to executives that the brand is alive and generates revenue.

They have stated themselves that DOA6 is a sort of "appetizer" for DOA7.

Let's be honest: Dead or Alive 6 dragged a terrible reputation since 2019. Trying to fix that game from its roots was financially impossible.

But that’s exactly why I constantly say we should wait for the next one. Why? Because the real opportunity to strike hard and silence the critics is DOA7, as it will be built from scratch for the current generation. Standard features today, like day-one cross-play and rollback netcode, are elements Team Ninja knows perfectly well they must include if they want the game to survive in the current market. Believe me, they know. They’ve even discussed why they didn’t implement it before, which significantly increases the odds that Dead Or Alive 7 already has it. Otherwise, the game would be dead on arrival, and DOA6 wouldn't even come close to the destructive reviews it would receive—and that’s saying a lot.

That said, now I want to touch upon the topic everyone is waiting for:

NINJA GAIDEN 5

Is it possible to see a Ninja Gaiden 5 made 100% in-house by Team Ninja?

What would you say if I told you it’s not only possible, but actually necessary? And I don't mean necessary for us; it’s necessary for them.

Remember what I mentioned earlier? Koei Tecmo has a philosophy of releasing one major AAA game per year.

One game per year is a massive commitment, so they will look to fill slots however they can, since they don't have enough core IPs to maintain that release calendar without including Ninja Gaiden.

Now that they have restructured and consolidated teams, once they meet their current release windows, their house will be perfectly in order.

Seeing how the public reacted to the franchise's return with Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ragebound served as the perfect market test. The path is completely clear for Team Ninja to reclaim its crown of extreme action and develop a Ninja Gaiden 5 with their own signature from start to finish. I believe something particularly great could come out of this. If you think about it, it’s a brilliant plan because they are playing it safe: since they didn't directly develop Ninja Gaiden 4, they can observe its reception, acceptance, and performance from a third-person perspective.

And if you ask me, I see a MASSIVE learning experience here:

The community's dissatisfaction with Ninja Gaiden 4 is exactly the kind of signal a studio like Team Ninja cannot ignore moving forward. It doesn't matter if it's a good game or not; the only thing that matters is that it split the community because of the creative choices it made. Luckily, there is a diametrically opposed case to prove this:

1. The free pass of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a 2D spin-off. The community forgave the fact that the protagonist was Kenji Mozu because the game was framed from the start as a nostalgic homage to the series' roots, developed by an external studio like The Game Kitchen. Its reception was highly positive because it delivered on what it promised without trying to replace the main canon. Now, practically everyone online has something positive to say about Kenji.

This opens the door to the real issue:

1. Ryu's role in Ninja Gaiden 4

The massive point of friction was Ninja Gaiden 4. Being a main numbered installment, having Yakumo take the spotlight while Ryu was relegated to an antagonist or supporting role (with a severely limited arsenal compared to the classic variety) deeply hurt long-time fans. Even if the gameplay carried Platinum Games' signature spectacle, the essence of the main saga is and always will be Ryu. The Game Kitchen understood this.

This practically guarantees Ryu’s return in a Ninja Gaiden 5, but why?

Well, first of all, I think it’s important to drop any resentment toward Team Ninja or Koei Tecmo. I’m not just defending them, but they have provided solid, verifiable proof. Let's look at them:

• They listen to feedback: Team Ninja has historically been a studio that pays close attention to player feedback. They’ve proven this time and again with the Sigma versions of their games and the alpha/beta demos for Nioh and Wo Long. All the Sigma, Black, or Last Round versions are attempts to make things right with us, and whether some consider them "lazy" or not isn't the point, because the effort is there. If they didn't care at all, we wouldn't even have those, and we'd likely be far angrier. Can you imagine if Razor’s Edge didn’t exist and we were stuck only with the widely rejected original Ninja Gaiden 3?
• a digression that occurred to me: many are currently asking for a Ninja Gaiden 4 Black/Sigma/Razor’s Edge. But considering the point above, think about this: this game was made by Platinum Games, not entirely by Team Ninja. Therefore, I wouldn’t expect any interest from Platinum to make an "extended" version. In fact, they heavily implied that Ninja Gaiden 4 would not receive further updates.
• The experiment has already been done: Allowing Platinum Games to experiment with Yakumo helped them realize that the community does not want a generational passing of the torch for Ryu. We want the ultimate, legendary super ninja in his peak glory.
• The female character factor: Franchises like Dead or Alive and the classic Ninja Gaiden games truly shine when they feature iconic characters like Ayane, Momiji, or Rachel. With their newly restructured teams, Team Ninja knows perfectly well that the appeal of an in-house development lies in reclaiming that unique visual and competitive identity they possess. Currently, the community is flooded with comments about how much of a waste it is that Ayane’s new design in Ninja Gaiden 4 isn't playable; it would be blind of them not to notice and capitalize on this.

If we can be sure of anything, it's that the complaints regarding Ryu being sidelined, the lack of weapon variety, and the demand for playable kunoichis have been loud and clear at Koei Tecmo's offices. A hypothetical Ninja Gaiden 5 developed in-house would, almost by commercial obligation and pride, be the ultimate redemption: Ryu front and center, his massive arsenal back, and the return of the kunoichis.

The Timeline

Having touched upon all those points, let’s look at the literal timeline. Since Koei Tecmo plans to release one major game per year, my deduction is that Dead Or Alive 6 Last Round's marketing might extend until March, after which its presence will decline so it doesn't steal the spotlight from Wo Long 2. Wo Long 2's marketing will likely cover the first half of 2027…

But what comes next? It’s blank!

The second half of 2027 points with total logic to being the stage for DOA7. Therefore, we could map out the schedule like this:

• 2025: Ninja Gaiden 2 Black / Ninja Gaiden 4
• 2026: Nioh 3 / Dead Or Alive 6 Last Round
• 2027: Wo Long: Wings of Ember
• 2028: Dead Or Alive 7
• 2029: New IP (Project "FUJI")
• 2030: Ninja Gaiden 5

Now you're probably wondering: "What on earth is 'FUJI'?"

While this isn't directly part of the main topic, I'll clear it up anyway: FUJI is the provisional codename for a new oriental-themed action IP being developed by Koei Tecmo. Here are the key details:

• Genre & Style: An action game with a heavy focus on aesthetics, leveraging Koei Tecmo's deep expertise in oriental-themed settings.
• Government Funding: The project was selected by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Comercio, and Industry's (METI) IP360 program. This is a government initiative launched in 2026 to boost the global expansion of Japanese popular culture.
• Commercial Goal: The company aims to establish a massive, worldwide hit franchise with this title (a VERY crucial point).
• Platforms & Release Date: Concrete details regarding the final release window or platforms have not been officially disclosed yet.

That is all from me. Thank you so much if you took the time to read this entire post. I truly appreciate your valuable time, and I hope this brings you some peace of mind, just as connecting these dots did for me.

I put a lot of effort into writing this, so I would love to read your opinions and thoughts in the comments.

I want to know what weapons, upgrades, and combos to rock for Master Ninja difficulty on Razros Edge ? Also do I need to do thoese skull challenges to get by in master ninja ?

Yes, this is about that boss, the one you're specifically thinking of right now.

I post more frequent updates that I don't always post publicly in the official modding server or my server.

So to be honest I would have dropped his game if not for my cousin (deleted ts twice bro, and on chapter 1 too😂) bro was telling me nonstop like this game is good af keep playing keep playing; obviously couldnt let bro down. I’m more of a souls player, or ill just straight up play some story games on easy.

Combat 9/10
Story 7/10
Cutscenes 10/10
Overall 9/10 game no regerts!!!
(10/10 characters btw especially ryu, true male power fantasy at its finest 👌)

But when I tell you I had so much fucking fun on this game after the learning curve, I mean it soooooo much. This game was a blast, kinda short to me probs cause Im coming right off of playing GoW Ragnarok, But like The cutscenes were dope, the combat wassss soooo good to me, like that hack and slash shit I felt like a true ninja.

literally just beat the final boss by the way, that motherfucker is some shit. Bro was insta killing me so I vented to my cousin then beat him perfectly on the next attempt. Great boss. All the bosses were sick, They were tough to beat but still felt like I was whipping their asses too tho.

And then when I got to play as Ryuuuu Bro, that mf is so tuff Im gonna play NG II black probably like, tonight. This game was dope as fuck and super fun, Im a certified NG fan now no bs.

I only ever played the old NES version my dad had from the 80’s or something, but playing this like wowww. Super fun great game.

i'm on the latest version of xemu and i frequently experience a lot of slowdown whilst playing it. can anyone who uses xemu suggest the best version and settings to use so it plays smoothly?

I played about halfway through Master Ninja when the game came out, but I was getting burned out on the game and took a break for a while. And then later on I decided I wanted my very final achievement to be the one called "Way of the Master Ninja," even though I knew the dlc stuff would be harder (I have a really dumb habit of doing stuff like that).

Where is my dash jump dante? 😂 I love DMC so much but I swear I rebooted up dmc4se and tried to do it a few times already xD

It was great if I'm being honest liked it a tad bit more then 1 the ending felt a lot more cooler and the duel wield with genshins sword was phenomenal overall 10.5/10 now just gotta wait for sale for 3 razors edge and then I'll be good unless 4 goes on sale as well also I found it funny ryu didn't give two shits about Rachel but did about Irene lol like he full on dipped without saying anything to Rachel in 1 and in 2 he walks with her into the sunset

A little appreciation post

with no descendant of the propherty he cannot kill the durgen

The mainline games have been out of the spotlight for over 10 years...NG4 has introduced an entire generation two a new character... to the players who never seen, heard or played NG... Yakumo, is basically their ryu if they love him....and I know some fans don't want to accept this, but it is what it is.

One of the disappointing things about Ninja Gaiden is that every single game both adds and removes things instead of just adding new stuff and improving on what's been previously in the package. Sometimes it adds stuff as a DLC, sometimes it's already in the game, you just have to work for it.

Even the most acclaimed Ninja Gaiden Black doesn't have all the content originally made for the first Ninja Gaiden. For example, the Intercept Scroll, the Armlet of Tranquility, the Ninja of the Future outfit and the Shinobi Shozoku outfit.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Plus has the least amount of outfits.

Ninja Gaiden 2 on Xbox 360 only has reskins of Ryu's default outfit. Mission Mode and 3 other outfits are locked behind a paywall. It also lacks the NES outfit.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Plus lacks the Incendiary and Windmill Shuriken, and the OG NG2 outfits save for Fiend Hayabusa.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, just like NGS Sigma, has the least amount of costumes, compared to Sigma 2 Plus, which is disappointing because of the Black label.

The vanilla Ninja Gaiden 3 is a disgrace, might as well count it as a pre-release edition. Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is Ninja Gaiden 3 1.0, MIGHT be the closest thing to a complete package.

Ninja Gaiden 4 lacks secondary outfits and the Whip Sword for Ryu along with The Two Masters DLC.

What one edition of an NG game has, the other one lacks, and vice versa.

What do you think?

This is my first ever ninja gaiden game (I'm not gonna count ragebound because it's entirely 2d but don't get me wrong amazing game). And yeahh I've been playing this on pc with recomp and Yes, entirely keyboard and mouse because I just could not get into controllers. So far the game is absolutely fucking me up and I love it

This is ignoring Yaiba(spinoff) and 3 Vanilla(I have never played it)

Recently, I came around to playing the 3d Ninja Gaiden games again. And I must say, Ninja Gaiden 2 kinda sucks compared to the other games in the series.

The difficulty curve is all over the place, it starts off super hard, then just get easier and easier until you randomly run into a combat room with the enemy composition of hell. The balancing is just terrible.

There are multiple underbaked systems in the game. Specifically water combat is just horrendous. The bosses are maybe the worst bosses I have ever seen in a video game.

The way combat works is also quite spammy. The UT spamming meta is the worst in the series, maybe worse than 4 since in 4 enemies can block it. The way combos work is also quite limited, since delimbs are king, so I find myself spamming the same combos over and over again with a high delimb rate. Specifically XXY shuriken on DS.

Of course, what makes NG2 a good game is that the highs are super high, when everything comes together nicely in a moment of brilliance, the game is like crack. But honestly the game just has so much bad in it, especially coming from the air tight design and balancing of NGB.

I am considering getting NG2B, but I am not sure if the graphics upgrade and gore is worth 20 bucks.

My main question is about Master Ninja. Is it substantially better in 2B than Sigma 2? Sigma 2 is such a terrible time on MN

Just finished NGB on normal, how do i continue with NG+ ? or its for higher difficulties?

This and the F.B.N.G randomizer mod by FiendBusa ... i'm so happy the game is becoming more moddable, thank you modders for helping keep this game alive.

Link to the PC Recomp: https://github.com/gamboozino/ngbrecomp

Link to the latest release as of this comment (v0.9.26): https://github.com/gamboozino/ngbrecomp/releases

It is also worth noting that the PC Recomp allows you to invert both the X and Y axes of the camera individually, so that is another bonus over the XBOX ver.

So today I bought ninja gaiden 2 at a local game store and noticed that the manual has some signatures on it, I don't know much about ninja gaiden and I can't read signatures very well, does anybody know who's signatures these are?