Katsuhiro Harada Explains How Tomonobu Itagaki Influenced Him To Leave Bandai Namco

by

Katsuhiro Harada is a hugely influential figure, both at Bandai Namco Entertainment and within the fighting game community as a whole. He’s the person who originally created the famous Tekken series and has overseen its development for many years.

Harada’s announcement on Monday officially marks the end of a significant period for the company. The highly respected developer revealed he’ll be leaving after 2025, concluding a career of over 30 years.

Why Harada Is Leaving Bandai Namco

Harada announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he’s leaving Bandai Namco this month, just after celebrating Tekken’s 30th anniversary. He shared the news in a heartfelt post.

He explains that with the Tekken series celebrating its 30th anniversary – a significant achievement for a project he’s dedicated so much of his life to – he felt it was the right time to conclude a particular phase.

[…] the legendary developer announced he will be departing the company at the end of 2025 […]

Harada explained his sudden departure by reminiscing about the beginning of his time at Bandai Namco. He fondly recalled having to physically move the first arcade machines and depend on people talking to spread the word about the original Tekken to get it tested.

Harada shared that he’d lost many friends, both personally and professionally, including his well-known rival, Tomonobu Itagaki (creator of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden). These losses made him think about how much time he had left as a game developer, and ultimately led to his decision to step down.

To help him through this big life change, Harada even asked Ken Kutaragi, the famous leader behind PlayStation, for advice. Kutaragi’s support and encouragement gave Harada the confidence to make his decision and move forward. You can read Harada’s full announcement below.

Honestly, everyone’s wondering who’s going to lead the Tekken team after Harada steps down. It’s a big question mark right now, and we’re all curious to see who will take the reins.

Katsuhiro Harada, a Namco employee since approximately 1994, concluded his announcement with heartfelt thanks to all the players who have supported him. He then shared a self-made, hour-long mix of techno music inspired by the soundtracks of Tekken, adding a lighter note to the occasion.

Harada hinted at future projects, suggesting he doesn’t plan to fully retire. He said he’ll reveal more details about what’s next at a later time.

Read More

2025-12-08 23:09