Free Step Dodge

Koei Tecmo is partnering with Namco Bandai publicly for the first time in fighting game history that can only be colored as a controversial relationship between not only the competition of companies but also disdain between the Dead or Alive & Tekken player base. This partnership is between Atelier Yumia & Tekken 8 and while there are few details on what this collaboration will entail this could explain Dead or Alive 6's reused assets that were implemented into the Tekken 8 system. Surprised?

UPDATE NOTICE: THE DLC PACK WILL INCLUDE ACCESSORIES AND EXTRAS FOR TEKKEN 8 PLAYERS. THE PACK IS SET TO BE FREE TO ALL PLAYERS. WE WILL SHOWCASE THE ITEMS RELEASED IN OUR POPULAR TEKKEN THREAD. THANKS.


This unexpected partnership could change the game on many levels. It's more possible than ever before that we could see special...

Last year Team NINJA's Rise of the Ronin was released as a PlayStation 5 timed-exclusive by Koei Tecmo & Sony with trusted sources saying Team NINJA's first fully open-world game never would have happened if it wasn't for Sony, but the time period in which it came out has finally exceeded the contract deal making this stunning release possible on PC for Steam. When you look at both versions of the game side by side it's quite apparent that the range and scale of this game on PC goes above and beyond the original PS5 version if you have the machine to run it.

While I've glossed over some of the PC reviews on Metacritic (which started off stronger than the PS5 version) I can't help but notice that people are writing Rise of the Ronin reviews as they would a minimum graphics report, and at Free Step Dodge, we're going to review the game on good hardware that is certainly more powerful...

Last year, Rise of the Ronin launched as a timed-exclusive for the PlayStation 5 and was wildly considered to be the most underrated game of 2024. Fast forward one year later and we now have the long-awaited Steam version of the game, and it's already reviewing higher than original title. With the PC edition finally released, Free Step Dodge will provide some additional coverage for the game.

Rise of the Ronin just might be considered the red herring video game dirt sheets needed to claim they don't bow down to Sony for every overdone 250-million-dollar blockbuster third person reskin of Uncharted they make. Sadly, based on the information gathered; this is one of the better-timed exclusives to come to the PlayStation 5 and of course it ends up with a 76/100 on Metacritic. The PC version has started off a bit stronger with an 82/100 on the ranking conglomerate.

Consider this release post for Rise of the Ronin as an everything you need to know...

Team NINJA surprised us all at the beginning of the year with one of the best-looking games they've ever released NINJA Gaiden II Black. Even though NG is primarily known for its insane, speed induced gameplay, I think most would argue that this version of the game is all about the visual flair and creating past battles in glorious 4K with help from Unreal Engine 5. The combat continues to impress me after all of these years, and we have so many different takes on NG2 to choose from whether or not you like the OG 360 version on Series X, NINJA Gaiden Sigma 2 (which can even be played on the old PSP Vita) or this newly released beauty. Take your pick; Team NINJA has you covered.

This blood-soaked adventure continues to impress me with stunning obliteration techniques that will lop off the heads of your enemies, ending the lives of the Fiends...

Dragon NINJA has been one of the Dead or Alive 6 regulars that we have grown accustomed to since release and he has been working his ass off trying to put the game on the map, so here is a place reserved for his tournaments and exposing these tournaments to other players around the world. There are a lot of regulars at these Z-Axis events so you can anticipate incredible matches and efficient gameplay.


You can also watch these events live when they happen on Twitch! Please enjoy these tournaments and look forward to this topic being fleshed out in the future for this promotion. MCD and Dragon NINJA are the heavy hitters of these tournaments, and they've really improved their game and get better each time, but you can expect other talent to show up and give them a run for their money.

Koei Tecmo's latest (and effective) business model has been to stealth drop video games, and this trend started in May of 2024 with Samurai Warriors 4 DX which received phenomenal reviews, NINJA Gaiden II Black in January, and now Warriors: Abyss (Koei Tecmo's first roguelike title) that released in February after a PlayStation State of Play.

Before I talk too much about Abyss, this stealth drop mechanic could be another great marketing tactic to usher Dead or Alive back into the market. Especially if Team NINJA decides to give the Unreal Engine 5 wrap to Dead or Alive 5 or Dead or Alive 6, maybe even Dead or Alive: Dimensions or a past legacy title. There are THREE other methods worth looking into that could bring Dead or Alive back in a big way, but most of these possibilities are indeed through Microsoft, who has made sure that Team NINJA stays relevant these past several years.

We will have big front-page stories...

Players have been asking for several years: "When are we going to get something new out of Koei Tecmo?" and "When will our classic IPs like NINJA Gaiden & Dead or Alive return?" After almost an entire console generation of worrying about the future, it is now starting to become crystal clear that Koei Tecmo is going all in and has returned with some of the best visual design, combat and animation in the video game market today.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the Genesis or catalyst of a NEW era for Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, Team NINJA, Gust and of course the dedicated players of their games. You can see the beginning of this new era everywhere you look within the company profile. From an updated Team NINJA logo, to the announcement of NINJA Gaiden 4, players can smell something new in the air for the first time in years and Koei Tecmo is ready for a new company blueprint...

Frosty Faustings XVII is clearly for everyone that thought Dead or Alive 6 was just dead, but the community always comes back to make sure that it is alive. Dead or Alive 6 World Champion Hoodless has been an organizer and performer of this tournament for years now making sure that DOA6 gets its time in the spotlight. The tournament has averaged a fairly healthy 150-200 viewers which actually isn't too far behind what we've seen from Team Spooky's stream today. The overall roster proves that DOA6's player count needs improvement, but there are ALWAYS people interested in watching the gameplay even after five years have passed.

Thankfully a YouTube Replay will become available soon for everyone that missed it or some of it like myself! FSD will keep you posted on the release of that replay as soon it's out. Thank you for your patience and thanks to UGS for preserving the tournament with YouTube. Twitch is utterly...

After over a decade of silence, Team NINJA and Ryu Hayabusa return for another blood-soaked 3D adventure with the long-awaited NINJA Gaiden 4 being announced at the latest Microsoft Developer's Conference. Not only has this incredible franchise returned, but Team NINJA has also made adjustments to their beautiful and iconic opening logo video insinuating that a storm is coming and that serious changes are on the way.

For Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo's legendary boss, Fumihiko Yasuda this is not just another game in the franchise - this is a story of redemption and a narrative of writing past wrongs with everything he had learned since NINJA Gaiden 3; a game that failed to captivate an audience like the previous Tomonobu Itagaki entries of NINJA Gaiden, NINJA Gaiden Black and NINJA Gaiden 2 which were all incredible and critically acclaimed XBOX exclusives.

This time Yasuda is behind the press...

The NEW and upcoming 'Hold That!' Tournament Series is quickly becoming one of the largest and most ambitious Dead or Alive online event projects that we have seen yet at Free Step Dodge. Johnny the Flash plans to pay tribute to DOA by hosting online tournaments for almost every game in the epic saga. This is a new era of tournament planning and coordination, and it all started with Dead or Alive 6.


While you can sign up for every single tournament free, spectators are encouraged to enjoy themselves and educate themselves to the stunning DOA franchise. Spectators can start the New Year right to our dedicated fighters by donating to the Overall Prize Pot. Major THANK YOU to the community for showing up to the first tournament and also for keeping our favorite fighter alive!

After many years of not seeing any action at all NINJA GAIDEN returns to a classic style in an all-new side-scrolling action game that is NOT created by Koei Tecmo or Team NINJA, but instead Dotemu & Game Kitchen which isn't actually a bad thing when pertaining to a 2D return of the franchise.

Dotemu is known for reviving classic games such as the golden era of Final Fantasy, and Streets of Rage IV along with the more recent TMNT: Shredder's Revenge; so, you know right away that NINJA Gaiden as a 2D game will be in safe hands and will undoubtedly be a ton of fun considering the publisher's pedigree in the market. Many people think that DOA could return in a similar fashion, but with Koei Tecmo doubling in size it's hard to say until Team NINJA announces their next project.

The storyline is where things get really interesting. Apparently, Ryu Hayabusa goes on a journey to America to honor his...

Koei Tecmo is planning a MASSIVE expansion to their business; doubling their employees from 2,500-5,000 which will of course mean more outstanding high-quality games. They've also mentioned that their key focus moving forward (despite making several big investments) that they will be moving back on mobile games so they can focus on more of what we want which is the home console and PC hardware experience.

Right now, Koei Tecmo is doing really well, probably drawing the most attention and money that they ever have. Koei Tecmo mentioned at the Prism party that Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation is one of the big reasons they are able to afford their current costs, and now we are beginning to see serious and substantial growth with the Dead or Alive name. Everyone wants Dead or Alive 7, and with this influx of money, company growth and employees; we might finally be at a serious talking point to get what we are banking on.

Despite there being a lot of...

Dead or Alive 6 World Champion Hoodless has been on a bit of a break, but he's making a comeback to Dead or Alive with his monthly online tournament circuit.

This online tournament was created for the European side of the community, and what a great time it was to engage the audience with the European style of fighting gameplay. Players that were spectating had an opportunity to donate money to the tournament and they represented what our community is capable of by adding over 400 USD to the total Prize Pot! This method has been a prime factor to paying out our favorite fighters since COVID19 ruined DOA6's offline potential several years ago so please continue to contribute something to these dedicated fighters as we continue DOA6 on our own as a small, but caring and generous community.

For more Hoodless content, please check out this amazing interview by up-and-coming DOA content creator - Golden Ghost. This...

Koei Tecmo has been playing it safe with their content for the last few years showcasing a familiar blueprint within their Tokyo Game Show live programming, but meanwhile the whole world is waiting for them to finally pull the trigger on a new game from a classic Team NINJA franchise. Regardless of what their collective fanbase and the rest of world would prefer to see, they do have a solid lineup of games including a reboot of Dynasty Warriors and the latest Atelier Saga, but will this be enough to please fans of the publisher?

They open up their show with Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake, which has been in the works since last year, and while it's not the most exciting game to watch from a visual perspective, it has remained a popular game franchise to engage with that sustains YouTube viewership and a primed based in...

Now is the time to enhance and expand your Koei Tecmo Library at a fraction of the cost. This sale also includes a wide range of DOA products, but it ends October 7th, so take advantage of it today! Become a member of FSD to begin your training and earn a reputation among our astute community!

Dead or Alive: Venus Vacation has been out for a long time, and over the past five years or so of the game lifespan we’ve started to see the regularly announced Venus (that aren't originally DOA girls) completely outnumber the OG fighters that made this series famous to begin with. Now the Dead or Alive name could be missing completely. Was this an oversight from Team NINJA? Could this be a separation of the fighting and volleyball series? Or could this even be the end of the DOA franchise in totality? There are many questions to ask, but we will not be equipped to know for sure until Tokyo Game Show 2024 where Koei Tecmo will air their live presentation.


What we do know is that Team NINJA will be releasing a new project surrounding the Venus Vacation name. We also know that this is one of the most lucrative productions within all of Koei Tecmo, sporting their best numbers to date...

Dead or Alive 7 & NINJA Gaiden 4 are constantly being discussed within the community, and for some players, they just can't see a future, or they demand one that doesn't work right away for Koei Tecmo. Something we all have in common is that we have all been there with our requests for the company. Even with the popular Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation players are stifled that there hasn't been an original Dead or Alive fighter since Tina joined several years ago and the trend continued once more today with the announcement of Meg who has been met so far with a mixed reception.

Team NINJA has been on the verge of not saying anything within 2024 at all outside of Rise of the Ronin accolades and release. Yasuda started the new year by sharing his future goals (which included him saying he wants to return to their classic franchises), there have even been rumors of a new Koei Tecmo division with Hayashi leading that subsidiary. We've also learned...

Koei Tecmo's underrated Atelier Saga franchise has finally been announced for XBOX after over 20 years of being on the NA market, and to make things even better, Team NINJA's complete Dead or Alive franchise is on sale for XBOX players. There are still some important games missing from XBOX including PS5 exclusive Rise of the Ronin, Nioh & recently announced Fairy Tail, but this is an improvement over what was. Atelier being included on XBOX systems is a direct response to the surveys that Koei Tecmo provides players.

The complete Dead or Alive collection on XBOX proves the value the system had with players:

• Dead or Alive 1 - 6.99
• Dead or Alive 2 - 10.49
• Dead or Alive 3 - 10.49
• Dead or Alive 4 - 13.99
• Dead or Alive 5 - 15.99
• Dead or Alive 6 - 11.99
• Dead or Alive 6 Digital Deluxe - 15.99
• Dead or Alive 6 Season Passes - Up to 60% off

This...

While this entire year has been fairly uneventful for video games as a whole (Team NINJA player or not) the Summer Games week was once again a poor replacement of E3 with far less access, far less fun and far less games, but it's what we had to work with on the road to Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show. Many expect that Team NINJA & Koei Tecmo will show off their next big games soon while also considering that TGS is right around the corner as the most likely spot for the game conglomerate to make an announcement.

Koei Tecmo stealth dropped Samurai Warriors 4 DX on Steam and shortly after that announced Dynasty Warriors: Origins that goes back to the hack and slash roots of the series while offering new possibilities. For instance, you will not select from a plethora of officers but rather play as one hero through a story mode that provides the best graphics seen...

Hello, KasumiLover, SovereignKnight_ on YouTube, and @Maso_Prince on X or Twitter here again to assist with another character I enjoy using: Naotora Ii of the Ii Clan!

In case you're new to to the Dead or Alive series, Naotora is not a native DOA character. Her home series is Samurai Warriors, where she was quite popular for not only her cute looks, but also her attack abilities that place emphasis on her fast, rapid powerful kicks. She debuted on March 17th, 2016 and is already gaining quite a bit of popularity with several DOA players and is shaking up the online field with her over the top attacks and abilities lifted almost completely from Samurai Warriors.

In this thread, I will cover a number of different areas in her game play, so that you can learn how how to use her move set safely, carefully, mindfully and efficiently. Because move properties are constantly changing and patches and updates come at certain times, I will continue to update this as often as I can. Below...

Last week Koei Tecmo stealth dropped Samurai Warriors 4 DX on Steam, and while it is one of the best games in the series and serves a purpose being released this way, it begs the question: does this strategy end with Samurai Warriors 4 DX or does this become a repetitive business pattern that brings their portfolio of titles to Steam; the strongest video game ecosystem on the market that becomes more and more dominant as time passes its natural course.

To my knowledge (and I could very well be wrong) this is the first time Koei Tecmo has shadow dropped a product meaning that there was no overhead or prior advertising; it just came out on a whim to the public. Some people would constitute DOA: Ultimate, Dead or Alive 3 & Dead or Alive 4 being backwards for XBOX ONE as a shadow drop, but it was announced by Phil Spencer in advance, and it was also a backwards compatibility update; not an official release.

This has also raised the question on many social media...