‘Harada TEKKEN is Completely Dead’: Veteran Bandai Dev Shares Final Message with Fans

by

After more than thirty years with Bandai Namco and working on the Tekken series, Katsuhiro Harada has announced his departure. In a recent social media post, he confirmed he is no longer developing or creating content for the TEKKEN franchise, looking ahead to 2026.

In early December 2025, Harada and the team at Bandai Namco announced that the veteran developer would be leaving the company after three decades of service.

Katsuhiro Harada Has Moved On

In a new post on social media, Katsuhiro Harada shared the following message:

I’m no longer a developer / creator of the TEKKEN series.

Harada_TEKKEN is completely dead.

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) December 31, 2025

The well-known game creator promptly changed his online profile to state, ‘Previously led development and production of action and fighting games.’

On December 8th, Harada announced to his fans around the world that he was leaving his long-held position at Bandai Namco.

I’m announcing that I’ll be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. As the TEKKEN series celebrates its 30th anniversary – a significant milestone for a project I’ve worked on for many years – I felt it was the right time to move on to a new chapter.

People reacted in the comments section of Harada’s post, with many pointing out that characters in the Tekken series have often returned from seemingly fatal situations. One commenter wrote, ‘Heihachi has ‘died’ multiple times, and Kazuya survived a volcano. We understand how these things work in Tekken. Looking forward to the next update, boss!’

Many people shared simple, touching messages, like ‘We’ll always remember you, Harada-san, and we’re grateful for everything you’ve done.’

Katsuhiro Harada has been a key figure in the Tekken series since its third installment launched in 1997, working on both production and directing. He’ll make a final appearance at a few esports events, after which he’s free to pursue new opportunities.

MOBILE APP

Level Up Your Gaming News

Real-time news, exclusive podcasts, push alerts, and a better reading experience.
Available on iOS & Android

App Store

Google Play

Read More

2026-01-01 09:18