“Developers Crack Down on 3,000 Adult Content Announcements in ‘Dumb or Alive’ Series”

There is a plethora of suggestive fanart circulating in the realm, and a significant portion of it is so inappropriate that Dumb or Alive publisher Koei Tecmo removes hundreds of submissions each year.

In a recent report from GameWatch (with translations provided by Automaton) at the current Tokyo esports Festa 2025, Tomotoshi Nishimura, general manager of Koei Tecmo’s public affairs department, shed light on the firm’s perspective regarding fanart.

Nishimura stated that Koei Tecmo has no issue with fans creating artwork based on characters they admire, and the company even encourages these creators to monetize their fanart, as demonstrated by its sponsorship of events like Comiket where individuals showcase their fanart.

However, the company does have limitations that it enforces. It takes “stringent action” against approximately two to three thousand pieces of fanart each year. One reason for removing fanart is if it is based on artwork from video games that have not yet been released. Another significant reason is if fanart involves characters that have been altered for “adult purposes,” which could consequently tarnish their reputation.

Nishimura expressed that the Koei Tecmo developers view the characters they create “like daughters,” which is quite profound considering just how suggestive even the official artwork of the Dumb or Alive cast is.

At the same event, Nintendo’s IP supervisor Koji Nishiura discussed copyright laws, admitting, “you can’t categorically state that an emulator is illegal in itself, [but] it can become illegal depending on how it’s used.”

While you’re here, check out all the upcoming video game release dates for 2025 and see if anything piques your interest.