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Tekken Chief Katsuhiro Harada to Leave Bandai Namco at Year’s End After 30 Years

He says he has already handed off creative responsibilities to the team to keep the series on course.

Overview

  • Harada announced he will exit Bandai Namco at the end of 2025, framing the timing around Tekken’s 30th anniversary.
  • He said he spent the past four to five years transferring responsibilities, including story and worldbuilding, to the current team.
  • He plans to disclose his next move later and thanked players and colleagues, reflecting on roots in arcades and tournament communities.
  • Eurogamer noted prior signals such as a LinkedIn "looking for work" tag and Evo 2025 comments, and reported producer Michael Murray’s remark that he may have only one Tekken game left.
  • Recent debate over Tekken 8’s emergency patches and DLC approach formed a backdrop, with Harada taking a vocal public role on those issues.