What Should Dead or Alive Players Do Now?

In case you missed the first part of our interview with Dan "SYN|Jaegar" McMahon, here’s the Cliff Notes of the situation: At the 2018 Northeast Championships, Team Ninja told the world they were making an announcement. Fans of the Dead or Alive series were pumped, because these sorts of things usually mean a new game in the series is coming out. However, when it came time for Team Ninja to present, they got bad news - Team Ninja’s support on the game was over, and there would be no announcement for a DOA 6. A few members of the team made quotes, and you can check them out at Shoryuken.

Yes, while it’s all good and well that the developers of the game came out and thanked the community for their support, there’s still no word on the status of the game. The NEC DOA5:LR tournament received 118 entrants, more than Injustice 2, BlazBlue: Central Fiction, and Pokken Tournament.

But now that the game is no longer being supported, where can the community go? Should they keep playing, or should they jump into the arms of a new game? We asked Dan for his thoughts.

Twin Galaxies: So, how did you react to the Team Ninja news about DOA5?

Dan “SYN | Jaegar” McMahon: So at the last NEC I attended (December 2016,) community director Tom Lee announced that NEC 2017 as an event that you didn't want to miss. So throughout all of 2017, leading up to the DOA Circuit Battle Royale Grand Finals (which took place at NEC, along with a $6000 pot bonus,) everyone in the community was assuming/hoping for the announcement of DOA6. In addition, I personally was hoping for the possibility of a DOA vs. Virtua Fighter crossover, being huge VF fan in addition to DOA. However, our hopes and anticipation quickly turned to grief - Team Ninja put together a tribute to the late Christopher “NinjaCW” Harris, who passed away the year earlier due to a heart virus. His untimely death sent a shockwave throughout the DOA community, including fans, friends, and avid competitors who’ve watched him grow into an influential member in the scene. NinjaCW was a OG DOA player who had roots all the way back to the Championship Gaming Series for DOA, founded in 2007. I personally never had the opportunity to meet NinjaCW, but based off the crowds feel at NEC and members of the OGs present at the event, I could tell he was a great guy who will surely be missed for many years to come. After the tribute,  a video played from the various directors of Team Ninja thanking the community and BigE for their dedication and support for the Dead Or Alive series, however support for the game by the developers has ceased, in addition there will not be a 2018 Battle Royale event. However in the video, it was stated that the Dead or Alive team is still very active, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel people. Many players I imagine and have personally talked to stated they will move on but many will keep playing and supporting the community. I know I will.

TG: With the news of DOA5:LR being shelved, what games are you playing now?

DM: I’m still playing DOA, that’ll never change, and I’m also still playing Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, but I’ve also started playing games like Under Night in Birth and Blazblue: Central Fiction. I’m very excited for the end of the month when Dragon Ball FighterZ comes out, and I plan on playing it very seriously.

Caption: Dan "SYN|Jaegar" McMahon gets ready to do battle. 

TG: How has playing DOA helped you in these other games?

DM: DOA has helped me understand how important conditioning your opponent is and can greatly set up infinite options on offense and okizeme (the aspect of your mindgames which takes place after you knock your opponent down), in addition to honing my defense and whiff punishment, which can be applied to any other fighter.

TG: Alright, one last thing - what’s your message to the DOA community?

DM: My message to the community is a simple but strong, and the truth in my eyes: if you love DOA keep playing and supporting the offline scene. DOA is not dead! It will only die if we let it! I've come to know many members of the community over the years and I know we can all come together and keep pushing forward toward a common goal: our love for the Dead or Alive Series and seeing it thrive. That said, support your local scene. If there isn't one, create one! Go to events for the game, meet people, the possibilities are endless. Keep fighting people, it'll take a lot more than that to put us down. WE ARE FIGHTERS!

Are you a Dead or Alive 5 player struggling with the near end of your favorite game? You're not alone: check out what the Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite community is going through after not being selected for the Evo main stage!