Free Step Dodge

NINJA GAIDEN Anniversary Trailer Drops Subtle Hints
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On March 2nd of 2024 Team NINJA celebrated the 20th anniversary of the NINJA GAIDEN series under the Team NINJA banner and to great surprise they also hinted at a possibility of the series being revived. President Fumihiko Yasuda also commented on the occasion leaving the entire conversation up for debate whether or not NINJA GAIDEN would be the next masterpiece from the illustrious Team NINJA. Though the great debate of what's coming next has been widely discussed we will recap and back the statements made by the president himself.

The signs have actually been pointing to a new NINJA GAIDEN and or at another Dead or Alive for multiple years and the question hasn't really been when more than it has been the order of in which they will appear. If another Nioh is announced or a completely different franchise it should be considered a complete shock to the system as this would not align with anything Team NINJA has said publicly in the past two...
Winter Brawl Cancelled & Wishing Big E Speedy Recovery
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Due to health concerns and surgery, Big E from Big E Gaming had no choice but to cancel Winter Brawl 2024 where Dead or Alive 5: Last Round was once again advertised as a main event game. Sometimes you have to put other things on hold so that you can be the best you for the future, and we at FSD wish Big E a speedy recovery so that he can get back to what he does best and that is of course serving the fighting game community. If you purchased a fighting pass you can expect your refund within the next thirty days.

While I do not know Big E personally, it's undeniable that his characteristics contribute heavily to the survival of Dead or Alive. I don't think anyone can argue that some of the best moments in the history of the franchise happened at a Big E tournament and we find it paramount that DOA will return to one of his events given that his health is first back on track. Big E will be undergoing surgery as early as next week due to a concerning heart issue with...
Neko & Honoka Win Frosty Faustings XVI
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This year at Frosty Faustings XVI the Dead or Alive 6 World Champion and organizer of this event Hoodless was not able to make it due to a surgery, but despite this unfortunate setback, Juniper and or of Matchstick Melee was able to spring into action and run the event with a full camera stream for the players that dedicated the time to showcase their incredible skill within the Dead or Alive 6 meta. As I've mentioned prior to this writeup, the Grand Final here at FFXVI is one of the best the game has seen since it launched, and if you've followed the game at all you owe it to yourself to give it a proper viewing.

Congratulations to Neko for winning this event with Honoka, and we wish Hoodless a speedy recovery.

Winners Final


:tina: Johnny the Flash vs. Kidney :tina:

The first match in this Tina mirror set started...
Fumihiko Yasuda Basically Confirmed Next Team NINJA Games
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We wish everyone a happy New Year here at Free Step Dodge and would like to take a minute to thank the readers and contributors of the longest running Dead or Alive website in the world for continuing to support us with your viewership, donations and thoughtful comments. This past year we delved deep into the inner mind of the Koei Tecmo business model, explored their other games passionately and kept DOA tournaments a major highlight whether it was Dead or Alive 2: Ultimate, Dead or Alive 3 ++, Dead or Alive 5 and of course Dead or Alive 6. At FSD we will continue to entertain, educate and delight you with a razor-sharp community that knows the ins and outs of Team NINJA along with our Indepth front page news articles.

I truly do believe there is every type of Team NINJA player here possible including: veterans such as Rikuto and Ponton that can give you the absolute best gameplay advice, we have active modders posting that can whip up just about anything...
Yohei Shimbori Now Works on Tekken 8
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There was no intention of me writing this as a professional news article because I really am in distinct shock, and I'm sure there will be more articles pertaining to Yohei Shimbori in the near future that will go that route but for now let's just take it in as the holy shit moment that it is.

At first, I will admit that I had to check multiple sources to believe this was real, but Yohei Shimbori is now a Producer/Director Assistant for Tekken 8. Now I think while that it is indeed a surprise; it should not be of a surprise to most of us because of all of the signs Dead or Alive players have seen throughout the development cycle of Tekken 8. This brand jump to say the least has made things interesting as there are going to be a lot of former doubters or even advocates of Shimbori at Koei Tecmo thinking "well maybe it's time we show the world we don't need Shimbori" or "this might be a way to open up business and make some...
Rise of the Ronin Releases March 22nd, 2024
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Team NINJA's latest Action-Adventure RPG, Rise of the Ronin is set to release early next year, which is many months earlier than expected due to the lack of general information provided for the game over 2023. This new trailer provides us with a lot of information, gives us a sense of what the level scale will look like and shows off Team NINJA's masterful execution of in game animation. The storytelling and narration from the main character was perhaps the most intriguing factor, and the main character is not only strong; but perceptive as well.

"It is said that time marches to the beat of a drum. A fleeting moment can feel like a lifetime for those caught in its deadly rhythm, and a lifetime can pass in the blink of an eye for anyone embracing its bitter end. The only thing we know for sure is that time marches forward.

Without hesitation. Without remorse. If the drum drives the rhythm than the river directs the...
NEC 23 DOA3 & DOA6 Results
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Dead or Alive 3 & Dead or Alive 6 both made appearances at NEC 23, but unfortunately, they were not on the official streams for the game at one of Big E's biggest tournaments of the year. Thankfully, Matt Ponton came in with the "grass roots camera save" and because of that the community can witness DOA3's Top 4 plus one hour of DOA6 matches. If these videos are uploaded to any other social platform we will include the videos, but as of now they are exclusively on Free Step Dodge's Twitch. Please also consider subscribing to Matt Ponton's Official Twitch for even more Team NINJA content as well as solid gaming for other games by our FSD Founder.

Matt Ponton started things off with Scarlett Rev in a FT3 that was a very one-sided match in Ponton's favor. Bass destroyed Scarlett's Hayabusa with insane wall-damage, ground tech and...
Dead or Alive 3 Tournament Returns to Brooklyn
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Don't forget to tune in to this growing Dead or Alive 3 ++ tournament scene presented by Brooklyn Video Games! Matt Ponton is the featured player, and he's always willing to give advice and share wisdom with other fighters that show up! The entry for DOA3++ is free with a guaranteed prize pot of 150 USD. To those spectating, please enjoy this one-of-a-kind, old-school experience! This is said all the time, but how can you not appreciate the graphics and animation of this game despite being over two decades old?


Noteworthy Achievements at this Dead or Alive 3 Tournament:

- Cyg gets a match victory over Matt Ponton which could be the first time this has happened all year across all Dead or Alive 3 events.
- All players are improving since last Brooklyn performance.
- Matt Ponton has won his 4th consecutive Dead or Alive 3 tournament.
- Brooklyn...
Koei Tecmo at TGS 2023
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Koei Tecmo will be making an appearance at TGS 2023 showing plenty of new games and content for current titles. The company will be at the public creator booth with Team NINJA demonstrating Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, they will be selling merchandise (including DOAX) at their booth(s) and will have three different live streams. The first two live streams are RPG titles: Fate/Samurai Remnant (which has some surprising hype behind it) and the latest Atelier title which will start off as a mobile game and work its way to PC later.


Following up those live streams will be a 1-hour Friday presentation from Koei Tecmo at TGS. While it's likely we will see Rise of Ronin as the ending to their program, it's completely unclear whether we will get a tease for Dead or Alive or NINJA Gaiden. Team NINJA will also be celebrating their Lies of P x Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty collaboration & a second big...
Matt Ponton Wins Brooklyn DOA3 ++ Tournament
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A small, but impactful Dead or Alive 3 ++ tournament was streamed live in a Brooklyn, New York video game store with the event entry being free to all players. Matt Ponton was there to teach and confide in all DOA fighters that decided to show up. This marks the second Dead or Alive 3 ++ tournament to happen this year (and also Ponton's second victory) after DOA3++ was a main event at Winter Brawl with potential to also show up at this year's NEC for a third outing.

Will the Nioh Collab Greet XBOX (Wo Long Road Map)
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Team NINJA has become more communicative with their future 2023 plans pertaining to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's Road Map and plans to release steady content updates each and every month, but one thing that is on everyone's mind would be the free Nioh collaboration. Sure, it could just be a simple costume for your character and maybe a skin of William to boot, but if this update comes to the XBOX, it points to the idea of the first two games in a compilation bundle or future games coming to XBOX as well.

For what feels like years, people have been begging for XBOX ports of Nioh & Nioh 2 - and rightfully so because regardless of if you like the games or not they have been critically acclaimed hits with huge followings of people that still actively play both titles today. Sadly, both titles were published by Sony worldwide and Koei Tecmo took care of publishing rights in Japan. Though if Team NINJA were to repackage the games into a compilation, they could be...
11Frames Wins DOA5:LR CEO 2023 Tournament
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A Dead or Alive 5: Last Round community tournament was produced for CEO 2023 by dedicated players doing their very best to keep our game alive and well in the FGC's everchanging space. Free Step Dodge posted the results after the tournament concluded, but we also wanted to complete this tournament experience with a short and sweet write-up for Top 4 that includes the near-complete Top 4 VOD.


11Frames takes Leifang into combat against Nero's finely tuned Marie Rose. While his damage in this bout is not as maximized as Black Moon Rising's Leifang, 11Frames clearly understands her tools and has no problems commencing an attack on a back-turned foe.

Nero switches to Honoka for the second fight after a big loss with Marie Rose at the slope infested desert and is immediately showing better patience and skill against Leifang at the circus. That being said, Leifang is beginning to maximize damage like Black Moon Rising with no...
Koei Tecmo's Q3 Games & Anime Business
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Koei Tecmo has a lot going on despite there being little to no Dead or Alive or NINJA Gaiden news available -- releases are continuing to flow from the company and Team NINJA appears to be hard at work with Rise of the Ronin while also continuing to fine-tune Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty to masocore perfection.

We'll kick off this business story with facts and the facts are Gust's Atelier franchise has been doing its best numbers ever with the Ryza saga selling over two million copies, and Ryza now has an anime to boot and a near perfect remake of Atelier Marie just recently released; the first game in the franchise released over two decades ago. If you are now just getting into this series 2023 is the best time to start with the original package and Gust's best works to date.


With Koei Tecmo now entering the...
Destruction Bomb Shares Incredible DOA5:LR Akira Tech
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Destruction Bomb is one of the better-known Virtua Fighter players in the DOA community and while his hiatus has not come without heartbreak it never meant he didn't have a project on ice waiting for the right opportunity to thaw. This time the 3D fighting veteran has come through with some insane Akira 2P setups when performed with water or on ice, expert wall shifts and maximized combo damage. Of course, the environment plays a vital factor in all Dead or Alive fights not taking place on Tatami; so, we at FSD strongly recommend you give this tech video a look.


While Destruction Bomb is typically in it for the laughs and the memes, his tech is where you see his inner Darth Vader as with practicing Akira will result in the student becoming a complete dominant force that only the dark side can be strong enough to wield. There is no questioning that Akira is one of the top characters in DOA5, but you will not get...
'Power of Jade' Becomes the Rarest Team NINJA Collectible in Existence
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Microsoft & Team NINJA are celebrating the launch of the first Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty DLC by summoning craftsman, Andy Chi to create the first ever jade Xbox controller. This unique controller casing is made of real jade and is the first controller to ever be made of the mineral. To commemorate this special event a mini documentary was made to highlight the craftsmanship posted on Xbox's Official YouTube.


I've reached out to Xbox PR team pertaining to availability of this controller and they responded by telling me that the 'Power of Jade' along with its treasure box is not for sale and that there is currently only one in existence making it the rarest Team NINJA collectible of all time. I responded by asking if they would make a knock-off controller to no response.

Microsoft has remained very loyal and faithful to the relationship of Koei Tecmo & Team NINJA and we see that with their Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty...
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round & Dead or Alive 6 Tournaments for Summer 2023 Plus Results
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Promotional

Dead or Alive 5: Last Round & Dead or Alive 6 will both be playable at various tournaments this Summer and so far, five tournaments have been posted. Frame Kill Friday's DOA6 Double Elimination tournament will be happening June 2nd and Battle Arena Melbourne 13 DOA6 tournament will take place in Australia on the 8th of June so both of these tournaments are happening before you know it. Please check out the information for these tournaments if you are interested and register today!

There will be a Dead or Alive 5: Last Round...
Hisashi Koinuma Backs Recent Success with 7.7% Koei Tecmo Japan Salary Increase
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Hishashi Koinuma has many roles at Koei Tecmo, but it's uncommon that he hints at anything or speaks to the public through big interviews, though the recent success at Koei Tecmo has caused him to acknowledge it; one of the best ways being extra compensation to salary-based workers in the various group companies that are located in Japan. While these raises have not yet been applied to the smaller companies in America or Europe, this is the 8th consecutive year there has been a raise within the realm of Koei Tecmo; which is very impressive and improves the quality of life for the developers crafting our games. Koei Tecmo has also announced a wage increase to workers just starting out with Koei Tecmo.

The lengthy Famitsu interview delved into sales and growth at Koei Tecmo games. Koinuma was quick to note the success of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (which is going to be seeing its first DLC at the end of June) & Wild Hearts as the key elements to their success, but he was...
Congratulations to Flack for Winning KGP 2023
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KGP 2023 hosted the largest Dead or Alive tournament of the year in terms of numbers with 64 players showing up to participate. The Three-Part YESU Cup was won by Flack who has been a prominent & dedicated fighter in the Japanese offline scene for years with a disturbingly deadly Bass at his disposal. Bass Armstrong has been the winner of many Dead or Alive 6 events since the release of the game, and it's getting harder and harder to hear out the people that say "he's such a mid-character." Bass is dominating matches regularly and confusing his opponents whilst baiting them to hold. You don't need a 9-frame jab to win at DOA more than an overall understanding of the rules and the ability to play solid mind games.


For players that have been demanding more DOA action or questioning if it's still around, the Japanese players have been carrying Dead or Alive 6 on their backs in terms of offline...
Koei Tecmo Reached Immense Success with Game Pass
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Following up with our previous Koei Tecmo business write-up allows us to look beyond opening Japan physical sales and Steam performance from the official database now that we have some current figures from KT themselves. Things are looking up for the company in many ways, but there have been some financial upsets to go along with their latest business report. This write-up also touches base with the latest game release dates for upcoming titles as well as updates to their current games for the 2023 year.

Team NINJA announced that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has shipped more than 1,000,000 copies across all platforms with 3,800,000 players in total for Wo Long. That ratio should give you a solid idea of how important of a role Game Pass for Windows & XBOX played with the success of the new game.

Comparing it to another big recent title within the company Nioh 2 was able to exceed over 2,000,000 units...
Koei Tecmo 2023 Business Overview (Q1-Q2)
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Koei Tecmo is made up of six fairly small, but talented divisions (Gust, Kou Shibusawa, Midas, Omega Force, Ruby Party, Team NINJA) and of the six Team NINJA appears to be taking firm control of the company's overall financial forecast going through 2023 pertaining to game sales revenue and overall player count. This business article aims to observe recent Koei Tecmo financials, the future, and should also decipher why Koei Tecmo's game sales have fallen in some areas specifically within different teams and have broken records in other areas; especially with their Golden Goose studio: Team NINJA.

Koei Tecmo Business Overview (Q1-Q2)

Recent sales may signal to some that Team NINJA should expand as a company, but also plays with the idea that more Team NINJA properties should be crossing over into other Koei Tecmo divisions and products. The Marie Rose costume in the latest Fatal Frame release was a solid idea...
Represent DOA by Filling Out Recent Koei Tecmo Surveys
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Koei Tecmo usually (but not always) conducts surveys after releasing games that they had serious expectations for and in this year's case two surveys are available for both PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse & Wo Long: Final Dynasty. They are both great titles available from Koei Tecmo and they are asking for honest feedback while giving you an opportunity to discuss or essentially vote for your favorite titles within the Koei Tecmo family of games.

For instance, take a look at the
Atelier Ryza 3 survey, PROJECT ZERO's survey & Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's survey and check out the following:

3-1. Please check if you have played any of the following Koei Tecmo...

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Latest profile posts

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!^.^♧
fun fact, Bass's unique get up kick (2h+k), did u know that it was present all the way back in vanilla DOA2? it's unlisted so it's easy to miss, makes u wonder what other unlisted moves are floating around in this 20+ yr old game
When anime fans talk about "warrior with terrible sense of direction" who's the first person that comes to mind?
Wait for release for Famitsu interview, wonder what they will answer on their plans after Rise of Ronin
Rise of the Ronin has an Izuna Drop.
A HEATED RIVALRY CONTINUES IN TONIGHT'S #DOA4 MATCH!
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