Tekken Director Announces Surprise Departure from Bandai Namco

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Katsuhiro Harada, the director of the latest Tekken 8 and a key figure in the franchise for decades, recently announced he’s leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. This news is unexpected, as Harada has been central to Tekken for the past 30 years and often represents the game publicly, revealing new features and content alongside producer Michael Murray.

Wow, this came as a real shock! It’s already been 30 years since the first Tekken, and Tekken 8 has been doing really well, even though Season 2 had a few bumps. Everyone’s been hoping for news about more content, and Harada-san even hinted that Tekken 9 might be his last game before retirement. But now it looks like things have changed – the Tekken series is heading in a new direction without him at the helm. It’s a big shift, and honestly, a little sad to hear.

Katsuhiro Harada Is Leaving Bandai Namco

Katsuhiro Harada recently shared a thoughtful post online marking the 30th anniversary of Tekken. He explained that he felt it was time to wrap up a significant part of his work on the series. Reflecting on his long career, which began with direct interaction with players at tournaments and arcades, Harada realized he’s been considering the limited time he has left as a creator. The recent loss of Tomonobu Itagaki deeply affected him – Harada delivered a eulogy at Itagaki’s memorial service and shared a touching statement. As a final, nostalgic tribute to the Tekken series, Harada created and released a 60-minute DJ mix featuring music from the games.

While the news might not be a complete surprise – Harada has been slowly transitioning out of his role over the last five years – Bandai Namco and the Tekken 8 team publicly thanked him for his contributions. They confirmed that though he’s stepping down after the 30th anniversary of Tekken, he will make one final appearance at the Tekken World Tour 2025 Global Finals in Malmo, Sweden, on January 30 and February 1, 2026.

The company also discussed the future of the Tekken series, reassuring fans that they remain dedicated to the franchise. They confirmed plans for ongoing development and new content for Tekken 8, and emphasized that they will listen to player feedback while staying true to the series’ history and the original vision of creator Katsuhiro Harada.

Image via Bandai Namco

Harada is well-known for his frequent and direct engagement with fans on social media. He’d discuss everything related to Tekken – from the game’s story and upcoming updates to requests for new characters – and wasn’t afraid to address negativity. Earlier in 2025, rumors circulated that he might leave Bandai Namco, which he denied then. However, in retrospect, those rumors appear to have had some truth to them.

Image via Bandai Namco

Katsuhiro Harada is famous for his work on the Tekken series, but he’s also contributed to many other Bandai Namco projects. In a recent farewell message, he shared that each of these roles was a valuable learning experience. Beyond fighting games like Pokken Tournament and SoulCalibur, he also helped develop titles such as Tales of Arise, Dark Souls 3, Code Vein, and the unusual Pac-Man spin-off, Shadow Labyrinth.

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2025-12-08 17:04