The team hired Tomoyuki Umeda to replace Suzuki as head coach but fired him in the middle of January after they struggled to a 6–18 record and sat in second-last place in the Western Conference. The team hired Shinshu Brave Warriors assistant coach Ryuji Kawai as Umeda's replacement. The team fared better in the second half of the season, posting 10–14 record under Kawai to remain within playoff contention, until consecutive losses to Osaka on April 16 and 17 made it impossible for the team to sneak into eighth spot. In what was to be a fitting end to the team's Oita era, they were scheduled to play their final two games of the season at Beppu Arena on 23 and 24 April 2016 against the Kanazawa Samuraiz, who hired Suzuki as coach during the off-season. However, due to concerns about the possibility of aftershocks following the earthquakes that hit Kumamoto and Oita Prefectures one week earlier, the league announced on 21 April that the matches would be cancelled on account of the safety of patrons. The HeatDevils finished their final season in the bj league in 10th place in the Western Conference, three games outside of the top eight.