News from Korea’s premiere games conference, G-Star, is that Tecmo is closer than ever to reviving both the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises. The head of Tecmo’s famed Team Ninja, Fumihiko Yasuda spoke at G-Star and made a few references to the kind of work he hopes his team can focus on. In a widely-disseminated translation of his talk at G-Star by Korean games’ site Ruliweb, Yasuda makes direct comparisons between Ninja Gaiden and the team’s current project, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.

The translation has it that Yasuda-san believes games like Wo Long that feature Asian history and culture in their settings and storytelling perform well in Asia and the West because of their satisfying action and presentation of martial arts, ninja, and samurai. The popularity and normalization of difficult action games like Elden Ring and Team Ninja’s own Nioh have kept Ninja Gaiden alive in modern conversations about the genre. Coincidentally, Yasuda-san himself has publicly expressed a desire to revive the franchise. Ergo, the time is right for Ninja Gaiden to return.

While this news has been picked up by highly visible sites like Dual Shockers and The Video Games Chronicle, it is important to note that Yasuda-san’s talk at G-Star did not include any kind of official announcement that a new Ninja Gaiden is in the works. He seems only to have stated that work on the series is something that Team Ninja continues. For their part, VGC sought clarification and was given a quote by a Koei-Tecmo spokesperson who said in regard to the matter, “We have nothing to announce at this time.”

Oblique references in the speech aside, Yasuda-san further fueled speculation by including a slide in his presentation that used key art from Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive with a heading that translates as “The Future of Team Ninja: Popular Series Reboot”.

Are you interested in Koei Tecmo bringing these two classic franchises back? What would be the best continuation: Reboot, sequel, or remake? Tell us about it in the comments or over at the Boss Rush Discord.

Sources: Ruliweb (translated from the Korean); The Video Games Chronicle

Featured Image: Koei Tecmo (via Fumihiko Yasuda at G-Star)