- Tekken head Katsuhiro Harada has confirmed that he is leaving Bandai Namco
- Harada will retire at the end of 2025
- He leaves behind a 30-year legacy of one of the best fighting games
The teak Series director and producer Katsuhiro Harada has confirmed that he will be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of the year.
In a post on X/Twitter, Harada wrote: “As the TEKKEN series reached its 30th anniversary – an important milestone for a project I’ve dedicated much of my life to – I felt this was the most appropriate moment to close a chapter.”
He added: “In recent years, I have 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. The accumulated events made me reflect on the ‘time I have left as a creator’.”
I would like to share that I will be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. With the 30th anniversary of the TEKKEN series – an important milestone for a project I’ve dedicated much of my life to – I felt this was the most appropriate moment to close a chapter. My roots are…8 December 2025
Harada’s announcement comes shortly after the passing of Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of Dead or alive and it restarted Ninja Gaiden series with whom he shared a friendly but competitive rivalry.
However, it appears Harada had been planning to leave for a number of years, stating, “Over the past four to five years, I’ve gradually handed over all my responsibilities, as well as the stories and world-building I oversaw, to the team, which has brought me to where I am today.”
In true Harada fashion, the man doesn’t leave 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 on his SoundCloud page.
I have spent hundreds of hours in The teak series ever since I was little, and have thoroughly enjoyed most of the games in the series, including more divisive entries like Tekken 4 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
Out of all the best fighting games, The teak is the series that stands at the top of the pile for me thanks to its iconic characters, deep 3D movement systems, satisfying juggling combos, and some of the best music in the business.
I personally will miss Harada and his influence on the industry a lot, and I hope that the series incl Tekken 8, will be in good hands going forward. And of course I wish Harada all the best in his future endeavors.
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