For years, Dead or Alive was a standout in the world of niche fighting games, not only for its fast-paced combat but also for its unapologetic embrace of female beauty within its cast. The franchise became infamous for its over-the-top fanservice, showcasing revealing outfits and, of course, the infamous jiggle physics across various entries, particularly in the Dead or Alive Xtreme Xtreme spinoffs.
However, in recent years, Koei Tecmo has taken a sharp turn, actively distancing itself from the very elements that made DoA a household name among its fans. The latest move, as revealed by Managing Executive Officer Tomotoshi Nishimura, involves the company’s aggressive enforcement of copyright against ‘inappropriate’ Dead or Alive fan art and creations.
This latest shift only underscores the franchise’s dramatic decline, as it’s become clear that Koei Tecmo is now trying to erase the very identity it spent years building, at the cost of alienating the fanbase that made it popular in the first place.
During the Tokyo eSports Festa 2025, Nishimura revealed that Koei Tecmo issues between 2,000 to 3,000 takedown requests annually against fan art deemed inappropriate. The rationale behind this? According to Nishimura, the female characters in DOA are seen as “like daughters” to their creators and the company, meaning any depiction outside of the ‘official image’ must be swiftly eradicated.
This stance reeks of hypocrisy when you consider the franchise’s history. From its very inception, Dead or Alive built its identity around showcasing stunning female fighters, seductive character designs, and physics-defying breast physics that became an infamous meme in their own right.
For Koei Tecmo to now position itself as the protector of these characters, while simultaneously profiting off their portrayals is nothing short of laughable.
The very idea that Koei Tecmo now wants to sanitize its image under the guise of “protecting” its characters regarding adult artwork is both absurd and disingenuous.
Dead or Alive was never just about combat; it was about spectacle. The over-the-top beauty and exaggerated sex appeal of its female fighters were integral to its identity. But over time, Koei Tecmo has distanced itself from this core appeal.
Characters like Marie Rose and Honoka, with petite, flat-chested figures and or more modest bust sizes, were introduced as replacements for the curvaceous women who had long defined the franchise, especially before Dead or Alive 5. When these characters first appeared, they quickly gained popularity, offering a broader representation by featuring women with both large and small breasts, thus appealing to a wider audience.
While this could be seen as catering to a wider audience, a vocal subset of fans saw their inclusion as disruptive to DOA’s established niche. These characters, however, quickly became synonymous with the franchise moving forward.
This shift became even more pronounced with Dead or Alive 6, where the developers toned down the fanservice a tad. Take Rachel’s Fiend outfit, for example: in the Western version of DOA6, it was censored by adding an extra black bodysuit underneath what was originally exposed skin.
In previous entries like Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Dead or Alive 5, the outfit was far more revealing, with large portions of her thighs, midriff, and cleavage on full display while In Dead or Alive 6, Rachel’s Fiend outfit underwent a significant change. The previously exposed skin was covered with a black bodysuit underlay, dramatically reducing the visible skin.
This drastic shift in direction only further emphasizes how Koei Tecmo began to openly distance itself from the very fanservice that made Dead or Alive famous, in a vain attempt to conform to modern standards.
While it’s worth noting that an alternative version of this outfit had appeared in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, featuring a maroon rendition with a similar bodysuit underlay, DOA6 combined these elements with the original purple color scheme, yet without an alternative costume which removes the bodysuit.
Many fans saw this as unnecessary censorship, especially since DOA6 still offered plenty of risqué outfits as paid DLC. This decision was likely driven by the game’s attempt to craft a more “serious” esports-friendly image, alongside concerns over Western gaming media’s increasing sensitivity toward fanservice-heavy designs.
The Dead or Alive franchise never reached the same mainstream success as Street Fighter, Tekken, or Mortal Kombat, but it has maintained a loyal fanbase since its debut in 1996. Developed by Team Ninja, DOA3 was the best-selling entry, surpassing 2 million copies, helped by being an Xbox exclusive during a time when Microsoft was seeking Japanese support.
However, subsequent releases were a mixed bag. Dead or Alive 4 sold over a million units within a year, despite being another Xbox-exclusive, this time for the Xbox 360. Dead or Alive 5, released in 2012, exceeded expectations thanks to its multiplatform release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. By 2015, the game had sold around 1.5 million units, with 580,000 sold within the first month of release.
Dead or Alive 6, however, was a catastrophic failure. Despite its release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, it only managed to sell 350,000 copies in its first month, with estimates suggesting it sold around one million, or possibly even fewer, across its lifetime.
The game received mixed reviews, with widespread criticism over its DLC monetization and missing features. After DOA6’s lackluster performance, Koei Tecmo decided to put the franchise on hold, with no actual mainline entries in sight. The company has since focused its efforts on titles like Nioh, Wo Long, and Rise of the Ronin.
However, considering DOA’s legacy, a reboot or DOA7 could still happen if demand is high, though the likelihood of it happening without excessive censorship that further ruins the experience for fans is slim to none.
Koei Tecmo’s recent actions are most certainly part of a broader trend in the gaming industry driven by Environmental Social Governance (ESG) policies. These globalized ideologies push for sanitized, politically correct content, often at the cost of traditional male-oriented fanservice. The removal of “problematic” themes such as hyper-feminine characters and revealing outfits has become increasingly common.
This shift may help explain why Koei Tecmo has been so proactive in targeting fan creations of their characters.
What makes this particularly ironic is that Koei Tecmo itself spent decades marketing Dead or Alive with the very fanservice it now seems so eager to distance itself from.
You can’t spend years selling a franchise with jiggle physics, bikinis, and Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, where the primary gameplay revolves around ogling pretty digital women in swimsuits, only to suddenly act scandalized when the internet does what it always does, create artwork featuring characters fans adore.
As reported by the Japanese video game news outlet Game Watch, Koei Tecmo Managing Executive Officer Tomotoshi Nishimura discussed the issue at a panel, noting that the company had initially attempted to show leniency toward “secondary works,” like doujinshi (self-published print media). However, Koei Tecmo has since taken action to stop the sale of 200-300 Dead or Alive-related doujinshi across four websites.
Furthermore, he acknowledged that the company was not only tolerant of otaku culture but actively supported one of its biggest gatherings, the annual Comic Market (Comiket) marketplace event. This support for fan culture seems to conflict with the recent crackdown on fan creations, further highlighting the hypocrisy in Koei Tecmo’s stance against creative freedom and fair use surrounding its IP.
However, despite this professed support, Nishimura clarified that there were two key exceptions to their leniency toward doujinshi: publications that contained leaked images of unreleased games, and those that depicted the franchise’s fighters in ways Koei Tecmo deemed “inappropriate.” In response to the latter, the company issues roughly 2,000 to 3,000 takedown requests annually, targeting infringing content across various social media platforms like Pixiv.
Nishimura concluded this part of the presentation by explaining to attendees that the takedowns weren’t driven by an inherent objection to sexual content or fan expression, but were aimed at protecting the Dead or Alive franchise’s “official image.” According to Nishimura, the female fighters were considered “like daughters” to both their respective designers and the company as a whole.
As the panel wrapped up, the Koei Tecmo executive acknowledged that while IP rights laws may not be perfect and many may have issues with them, they remain the most valuable tool in the fight against copyright infringement. Therefore, it is crucial for everyone involved to work together to find workable, legal solutions.
There’s no denying that Koei Tecmo built the Dead or Alive brand around sex appeal. The entire Xtreme spin-off series, for example, functions as a digital waifu simulator where players interact with characters dressed in alluring outfits, but instead of fighting, the focus shifts to more relaxed, casual activities. The gameplay revolves around volleyball, pool games, and beach-related mini-games, giving it a simulation-like feel with a healthy dose of suggestive poses for photo shoots thrown in.
They even created a system where outfits would “malfunction” if the characters moved too much in Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Fortune, because, of course, they did. The developers knew exactly what audience they were catering to.
To suggest that Koei Tecmo is now removing illicit creations of its characters in the name of purity or respect is absurd. If the franchise’s characters were truly treated like the company’s “children,” then why go to such lengths to make them provocative and alluring to a predominantly male demographic in the first place?
Especially considering the franchise’s history of collaborations with other fanservice-heavy series like Senran Kagura and Keijo, both of which are also known for their erotic allure and provocative appeal.
Never mind the fact that Koei Tecmo has revived the Dead or Alive franchise with the upcoming release of Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation Prism, a literal dating simulator billed as an “Immersive Romantic Adventure” due for release on March 6th 2025.
In this game, players take on the role of the manager of Venus Islands, referred to in-game as the Boss. This tropical paradise features a diverse cast of six girls, and the player interacts with them in a narrative-driven story that unfolds based on their choices, with multiple possible outcomes.
Unlike previous Dead or Alive Xtreme games that also included dating sim elements, Venus Vacation Prism places the dating aspect at the heart of the experience. Players can access a photo mode at any time during character episodes.
By sharing in-game photos of the characters, a popularity gauge rises, leading to the Venus Festival gaining momentum. Once the popularity threshold is reached, new outfits are unlocked for the characters.
The Dead or Alive franchise was always a balancing act of combat, spectacle, and fanservice, with Koei Tecmo capitalizing on both the fighting game mechanics and the appeal of its eye-catching, provocative designs. For the company to now pivot toward a “more respectable” image while simultaneously reviving the franchise in a form that is still explicit in its fanservice is nothing short of baffling. It highlights a growing trend in the gaming industry, where companies are attempting to appease modern sensibilities while ignoring the long-standing identity that helped them succeed in the first place.
For Koei Tecmo to now crack down on illicit material is a glaring act of hypocrisy. After spending decades building a brand around fanservice-heavy games like Dead or Alive Xtreme, it’s absurd for them to be shocked when the internet reflects the very culture they nurtured. This attempt to sanitize their image while still profiting from the allure they once championed undermines the legacy they’ve built.
In the end, the Dead or Alive franchise’s legacy is undeniably tied to the very elements Koei Tecmo now seems eager to suppress. Trying to separate the two is not just an exercise in futility, it’s a betrayal of the fanbase that has supported the series for years.
