Legendary Tekken Producer Katsuhiro Harada Leaves Company After 31 Years Of Service

It’s quite a week for 3D fighting game fans, especially for those following Tekken.

After 31 years+ of service, executive game director and producer Katsuhiro Harada will be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. No major reason has been stated on why he’s leaving, but he did say that the loss of several close friends led him to reflect on the “time I have left as a creator”. He will share his future plans at a later date. He will be attending the upcoming Tekken World Tour finals, though as a special guest rather than a producer role in the Tekken series.

The man is known for his frank and direct attitude when on Twitter, but also loves the franchise he worked on. His contributions to the Tekken series are immense, as he worked on the game in various roles since 1994.

Here is Bandai Namco’s official message regarding his departure and the future of Tekken:

Regarding the Departure of Katsuhiro Harada

Katsuhiro Harada, who has long led numerous projects including the Tekken series, will be leaving Bandai Namco. This comes as the Tekken series finishes celebrating its 30th anniversary, a milestone he deeply contributed to as executive director and executive producer on the franchise. Harada-san is making an appearance and meeting with the Tekken community at the “Tekken World Tour 2025 Global Finals” Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) and Top 20 Finals, held in Malmo, Sweden, on January 31 and February 1, 2026.

Regarding the Future of the Tekken Series

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 to Harada-san for providing us with vision and continued success over the years.

 

As a final gift to fans, Harada has made a final mix Soundcloud jam featuring Tekken music, celebrating 30 years of the title.