Tekken lead Katsuhiro Harada to leave Bandai Namco: 'I felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close'

Date:
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:53:26 +0000

Description:
As Tekken ends its 30th anniversary celebrations, series lead Katsuhiro
Harada confirms he's leaving Bandai Namco.

FULL STORY

Tekken series director and producer Katsuhiro Harada has confirmed he will
be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of the year.

In a post on X / Twitter , Harada wrote: "With the TEKKEN series reaching its 30th anniversaryan important milestone for a project Ive devoted much of my life toI felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close."

He added: "In recent years, I experienced the loss of several close friends
in my personal life, and in my professional life I witnessed the retirement
or passing of many senior colleagues whom I deeply respect. Those accumulated events made me reflect on the 'time I have left as a creator.'"

Harada's announcement comes shortly after the passing of Tomonobu Itagaki , creator of Dead or Alive and the rebooted Ninja Gaiden series, with whom he shared a friendly but competitive rivalry.

However, it seems that Harada had been planning to depart for a number of years, stating: "Over the past four to five years, Ive gradually handed over all of my responsibilities, as well as the stories and worldbuilding I
oversaw, to the team, bringing me to the present day."

In true Harada fashion, the man isn't leaving without fanfare. He's put together an hour-long 30th anniversary mix titled 'TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey Harada's Final Mix', which you can listen to over on his SoundCloud page .

I've poured hundreds of hours into the Tekken series ever since I was little, greatly enjoying most games in the series including more divisive entries
like Tekken 4 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Out of all the best fighting games , Tekken is the series that stands at the top of the pile for me thanks to its iconic characters, deep 3D movement systems, satisfying juggle combos, and some of the best music in the
business.

I'll personally miss Harada and his influence on the industry greatly, and I hope the series, including Tekken 8 , will be in good hands going forward.
And naturally, I wish Harada all the best in his future endeavors.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/tekken-lead-katsuhiro-harada-to-leave-bandai- namco-i-felt-this-was-the-most-fitting-moment-to-bring-one-chapter-to-a-close

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