- Tekken leader Katsuhiro Harada has confirmed that he is leaving Bandai Namco
- Harada will leave at the end of 2025
- It leaves behind a 30-year legacy of one of the best fighting games
Tekken series director and producer Katsuhiro Harada confirmed that he will leave Bandai Namco at the end of the year.
In the post regarding X/TwitterHarada wrote: “With the 30th anniversary of the TEKKEN series – an important milestone for a project to which I have dedicated most of my life – I felt it was the most appropriate moment to close a chapter.”
He added: “In recent years, I have experienced the loss of several close friends in my personal life, and in my professional life I have witnessed the retirement or death of many senior colleagues whom I deeply respect. These cumulative events have led me to reflect on ‘the time I have left as a creator’.”
I would like to share that I will be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. The TEKKEN series is celebrating its 30th anniversary – an vital milestone in a project to which I have devoted most of my life – and I felt it was the most appropriate moment to end one chapter. My roots lie in…December 8, 2025
Harada’s announcement comes shortly after the death of Tomonobu Itagaki, the creator Dead or alive and restarted Ninja Gaiden a series with which he had a genial but competitive rivalry.
However, Harada appears to have been planning to leave for several years, stating, “Over the past four to five years, I have gradually handed over all of my responsibilities as well as the stories and worldbuilding that I oversaw to the team, which has led me to today.”
In true Harada style, the man doesn’t leave without fanfare. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, he composed an hour-long mix titled “TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada’s Final Mix”, which can be heard on his SoundCloud page.
I put hundreds of hours into it Tekken series since I was little, I’ve really enjoyed most of the games in the series, including the more divisive entries like Tekken 4 AND Tekken Tag 2 Tournament.
Of all the best fighting games, Tekken is a series that takes the top spot for me thanks to its iconic characters, deep 3D movement systems, satisfying juggling combos, and some of the best music in the industry.
Personally, I will greatly miss Harada and his impact on the industry, hopefully including the series Tekken 8, will be in good hands in the future. And of course, I wish Harada all the best in his future endeavors.
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