Katsuhiro Harada leaving Bandai Namco and Tekken franchise

After 30 years developing Tekken games, Katsuhiro Harada has announced that he is leaving Bandai Namco at the end of the year.

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It's the end of an era for fighting game fans, especially those that grew up around arcades in the 1990s: Katsuhiro Harada will step away from the Tekken franchise and will not be involved in further games in the series. With 30 years worth of releases and more than 60 million sales globally, Harada is responsible for one of the best-selling and genre-defining video game lineups in history.

"I'd like to share that I'll be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. 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," Harada wrote.

• Read more: As Katsuhiro Harada says goodbye to Tekken, Bandai promises 'more fights, more updates' in 2026

Both Bandai Namco and Harada made announcements on Twitter, with the melee master saying that he confided with the father of PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, for advice. Harada says that Kutaragi provided "invaluable encouragement and guidance" and helped Harada make the decision.

Harada's career page on Bandai Namco's creators section, which is now blank, had previously listed the esteemed developer's accomplishments.

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On Twitter, Harada further reflects on growing older and the passage of time, saying that he has seen many of his colleagues retire or pass away. Realizing this made him look more closely at the "time I have left as a creator," Harada says.

The famed creator says that he has slowly been relinquishing his control within the company to others.

"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 its own announcement, Bandai Namco clarified that the Tekken franchise will continue onwards without Harada:

"To our fans, rest assured that we are fully committed to future development and content plans for Tekken 8.

"We will continue to take community feedback on the game and its content to heart to ensure that we uphold the vision and spirit built by Harada-san, dedicating our utmost efforts to ensure the legacy of the Tekken series continues as a fighting game franchise beloved worldwide.

"We express our deepest gratitude for Harada-san for providing us with vision and continued success over the years."

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