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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End of an era

Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada announces departure from Bandai Namco
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
  • Tekken lead Katsuhiro Harada has confirmed he's leaving Bandai Namco
  • Harada will depart at the end of 2025
  • He leaves behind a 30-year legacy of one of the best fighting games

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 anniversary—an important milestone for a project I’ve devoted much of my life to—I 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, I’ve 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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Rhys Wood
Rhys Wood
Hardware Editor

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for over four years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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