Dead or Alive made the most improbable comeback

With the sheer number of new releases, 2026 promises to be a massive year for the Fighting Game Community, but there has also been a major shock announcement. Through what can only be described as a miracle, Dead or Alive is back, proving that the franchise is more alive than dead.

This comes as a major shock, considering that the series was considered practically dead following its sixth entry, yet the recent PlayStation State of Play showcase revealed that Dead or Alive 6 is coming to PS5 through the Last Round edition, and that Team Ninja is even planning a new entry in the series for its 30th anniversary.

With that said, let’s cover why this comeback is so shocking and what it means for the future of fighting games. 

The Dead or Alive 6 Last Round announcement would have been shocking enough on its own, but the addition of a new game in the future was a huge surprise, since the franchise hasn’t had a new project since 2019. More than that, DOA 6 has had little impact on the esports scene.

Tomonobu Itagaki, the creator of Dead or Alive and the Ninja Gaiden series, which Dead or Alive is a spin-off of, sadly passed away in late 2025, at the early age of 58. Combine this with comments that the series wouldn’t be making a comeback, and it seemed that Koei Tecmo would only be working on new Ninja Gaiden titles. Even that seemed unlikely at the time.

Yet, here we are, without any warning, with a major Dead or Alive announcement in 2026, a year that the Fighting Game Community have been revelling in with the upcoming release of many new titles. Koei Tecmo, in general, seems to be putting more resources into making new games, and for fighting game fans, it’s incredible to see this include Dead or Alive, a franchise that has been around for 30 years.

So, with the announcement of a new title, does that mean we’re getting Dead or Alive 7? It hasn’t been confirmed, but it is more than likely, especially considering that both Ryu and Kasumi, two of the most iconic Dead or Alive characters, have new designs.

With Dead or Alive 6 Last Round coming out first, it seems similar to SEGA’s method of getting players ready for a new fighting game. SEGA re-released Virtua Fighter 5 helped to herald in the announcement of a new Virtua Fighter project, and given the success of this method thus far, it seems a good one for Team Ninja to replicate.

While DOA 6 is certainly a fun title, the hope is that Dead or Alive 7 will right some of the wrongs the series has suffered and get it back on track. There is the chance that, while it will be well-received, it may not sell well enough to endure, suffering a similar fate to Soulcalibur 6.

A good way for DOA 7 to overcome this is to improve the game’s online capabilities. Dead or Alive already has incredible customisation, something fighting games have a lot of in the 2020s, just look at Tekken 7 and the prices of 2XKO skins. What it should focus on is features like rollback netcode and making it as easy as possible to find matches for both casual and ranked play.  

While Dead or Alive isn’t a franchise the size of Street Fighter or Tekken, especially in 2026, its revival is a big deal. It, along with the new Virtua Fighter game, means that reviving storied fighting game franchises is possible, although expectations for the game’s sales need to be kept in check.

Despite Soulcalibur 6 being well-received at launch, a mix of mediocre online play options, a low budget, and high sales expectations prevented it from getting further funding from Bandai Namco. The online play was the biggest blow, since it didn’t keep players involved with SC6 long term, despite the volume of single-player content. This is something Dead or Alive 7 has to get right, and rollback netcode is a must-have.

Still, if Dead or Alive and Virtua Fighter can make a comeback, hopefully releasing within the decade, it could make the 3D fighter scene more interesting, although we’re still waiting for a Dead or Alive 7 release date. While there has been a myriad of 2D fighting games, such as Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear Strive, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, 3D fighters haven’t made the same impact.

Tekken has had a monopoly on 3D fighters for the last decade, and DOA 7 and the new Virtua Fighter could upset this balance. The Dead or Alive 7 roster would probably have to be quite large, considering the size of Tekken 8’s at launch, but DOA has the characters to do this. It also has its famed, raunchy side and unserious nature that will help its appeal to casuals, too.

The new DOA is a huge announcement for the FGC, especially since many had thought the series was condemned to eternal dormancy. This, along with a new Virtua Fighter, the continued efforts of Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, and all the new fighters of 2026, including: 2XKO, Avatar Legends, Invincible VS, and Marvel Tokon, means that there will be so much for FGC fans to get involved with.

Then again, there will be a lot of competition that DOA will have to overcome, and there is no guarantee that it will emerge victorious. It will need to keep up with modern fighters, with streamlined, stable online play, while simultaneously returning to the series’ peak with Dead or Alive 4 and earlier.

While very little has been revealed about this upcoming DOA project, it will be nice for fans to finally feel like they have Dead or Alive news to look forward to, rather than searching for scraps.