Team Ninja is resurrecting Dead or Alive, announcing Friday that Dead or Alive 6 launches in early 2019 after a multi-year hiatus since the series’ last game.
The Dead or Alive franchise is back once more for its twenty-third iteration, taking the form of Dead or Alive 6. No more dallying with Xtreme spin-offs, volleyball games, or PS Vita ports, for now, because Team Ninja is back with Dead or Alive 6 for the main series of the fighting games. DoA 6 is planned to release in early 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
IGN was given exclusive access to the announcement and describes the sequel as familiar gameplay with improved visuals. Team Ninja has a new engine for Dead or Alive 6, said to focus in on realistic details and add in dynamic facial expressions. The last iteration of Dead or Alive added sweating and dirt effects, but Dead or Alive 6 seems to be keying in on bringing its characters closer to life.
Speaking of characters, Dead or Alive 6‘s announcement trailer introduces six familiar faces. Hyabusa and Hayate are shown in an extended duel, while Jann Lee and Zack, and Helena and Kasumi each have their own fights, too. More characters, new and old, are certain to be revealed in the weeks and months ahead.
It has been several years since the last Dead or Alive title was released, in Dead or Alive Xtreme 3. The title wasn’t particularly well-received, but was in the news from time to time due to the explicit nature of its costume microtransactions. The competitive scene even banned certain DoA costumes for female characters due to their sexualized nature.
While it may have been three years now, it’s unlikely to Dead or Alive 6 will divert from its sordid history with sexualized customizations. Especially so, considering the continued growth of microtransactions within the industry. Though as far as the Dead or Alive franchise goes, the main series of titles – of which Dead or Alive 6 is a part – has tended to be less controversial than others.
Team Ninja says to expect more information on Dead or Alive 6 on June 11, insinuating that the fighting game will be shown in some capacity during E3 2018. Since Dead or Alive is a Koei Tecmo-published franchise, but one that isn’t quite as popular as it used to be, fans can probably expect Dead or Alive 6 to be absent from the press conferences, but available on the E3 showfloor at Koei Tecmo’s booth.
Dead or Alive 6 releases in early 2019 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
