Itagaki Leaves, Sues Tecmo

According to this statement issued to 1UP, fashionable ninja Itagaki will step down from his post at Tecmo’s Team Ninja on July 1, 2008. He is filing a suit against the company for unpaid bonuses and against Tecmo’s president, Yoshimi Yasuda, for “disingenuous statements” made towards him. He is claiming a total of 148 million yen in damages (approximately $1.5 million).

According to his statement, Itagaki was offered a completion bonus on the development of Dead or Alive 4. However, when the game was completed, he wasn’t given the payment, but was rather insulted by the company president, who told him to “either quit the company, or sue it.” Additionally, Yasuda also made demeaning remarks about him, causing much emotional distress as well as worsening his personal relationships and work environment.

This surprising move comes mere hours after the release of Ninja Gaiden 2, which reviewers are calling a true sequel to the Xbox classic. Itagaki has also issued a statement for his fans, which can be read just after the jump.

To All Game Fans

“I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. Ninja Gaiden 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last Ninja Gaiden I will create. I will also never be able to make Dead or Alive 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans. However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so. I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future.”