Dead or Alive Director Leaves Koei Tecmo

The video game industry is definitely no stranger to game development crunch time, which often leads to team movements within the organization, whether through the addition of a new team member or the leaving of a celebrated industry veteran. Recently, Yohei Shimbori, the director of Koei Tecmo’s iconic fighting game series Dead or Alive, announced that he has left the company after an outstanding 16 years.

It is likely that Dead or Alive fans may consider Yohei Shimbori as an integral part of the development team. Starting his career in the series in 2004, as a planner on Dead or Alive Ultimate for the Xbox platform, he has since added six to seven other titles under his belt. His most recent addition includes being the producer and director to the latest title to the series Dead or Alive 6, which was launched back in 2019 and continues to have a loyal fanbase and online community.

Posted on his personal Twitter account very recently, Shimbori made the announcement about his resignation from Koei Tecmo in Japanese. Roughly translated, he mentioned the duration of his career in Koei Tecmo, and that he has been pleased with his involvement in the Dead or Alive series. Though not referring to anything specific about his resignation, Shimbori also said that there were some times that he could not live up to his own expectations.

Shimbori used the same announcement post to give thanks for the support of the Dead or Alive series fans. Many replies to the thread involved saying thank you to the director for all his efforts, and wishing him well in his future endeavors. Other fans who replied seemed apprehensive about Shimbori’s resignation, showing their concern about the future of the video game franchise and hoping that this was not the end of Dead or Alive.

With the player base of Dead or Alive 6 six still playing the game enough for Koei Tecmo to offer ridiculously expensive season passes, fans may not have to worry about the series coming to an end anytime soon. As for Shimbori’s next steps, it is possible that he may follow in the footsteps of Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki, who recently announced the opening of his own game development studio. Until more information is confirmed, fans will have to stay tuned to his personal social media accounts or official company announcements for more news on what he plans to do next.

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