Bandai Namco Producer Katsuhiro Harada to Leave After 31 Years
Katsuhiro Harada announced that he will leave Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. Harada, the longtime producer of the Tekken series, made his announcement today on X (formerly Twitter). Harada joined Bandai Namco in 1994 and stayed with the company throughout Tekken’s history.
The TEKKEN Project Team confirmed the announcement on X. Regarding the Tekken series, they said, “To our fans, rest assured that we are fully committed to future development and plans for TEKKEN 8. We will continue to take community feedback on the game and its content to heart to ensure the legacy of the TEKKEN series continues as a fighting game franchise beloved worldwide.” They expressed their “deepest gratitude” to Mr. Harada for “providing us with vision and continued success” throughout the years.
Harada’s Thoughts on The Tekken Franchise
Harada said on X, “My roots lie in the days when I supported small local tournaments in Japanese arcades and in small halls and community centers overseas. I still remember carrying arcade cabinets by myself, encouraging people to ‘Please try TEKKEN,’ and directly facing the players right in front of me.”
Harada continued, “Even as the times changed, those experiences have remained at the center of my identity. And even after the tournament scene grew much larger, many of you continued to treat me like an old friend – challenging me at venues, inviting me out for drinks at bars. Those memories are also deeply precious to me.”
Harada’s Motivation for Leaving Bandai Namco
Harada pointed out the loss of “several close friends,” including Dead or Alive series creator Tomonobu Itagaki, also known for reviving the Ninja Gaiden franchise. Harada also mentioned that he sought advice from Ken Kutaragi, the creator of the PlayStation and current CEO and president of Cyber AI Entertainment. After receiving “invaluable encouragement and guidance,” Harada decided to plan his retirement.
Throughout the last five years, Harada passed on all of his duties, including lore and worldbuilding for Tekken, to his team. He also expresses gratitude for working on various titles such as Summer Lesson, Pokken Tournament, the Soul Calibur series and many others. Although he will have left Bandai Namco at the end of December, Harada will appear during the finals of Tekken World Tour at the end of January 2026. He will announce his future plans at a later date.
Tekken 8 recently released Miary Zo, a fighter from Madagascar, as the final character for the game’s season 2 lineup. The season 3 DLC lineup has not been announced yet.
