Tekken director announces surprise departure from Bandai Namco

A present that seems to have come out of nowhere tekken 8 Director and longtime leader of the franchise Katsuhiro Harada announced that he will be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. This is a surprising move for Harada, who has always maintained a close relationship with Bandai Namco. iron fist He has helped with franchise operations for the past 30 years. He also typically serves as the public face of games such as: tekken 8 Together with fellow producer Michael Murray, he has presented new content at various events.

This news comes at an incredible time, as well as the 30th anniversary of the franchise. tekken 8 Despite the challenges Season 2 had for the studio to overcome, it was a huge success for Bandai Namco. Many fans are anticipating news of a new season of content, and even Harada himself has previously admitted: tekken 9 I think this will be my last game before retirement. For now, it looks like plans have changed. iron fist The franchise will explore new territory without Harada.

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Katsuhiro Harada leaves Bandai Namco

Katsuhiro Harada acknowledged in a lengthy post on social media: iron fist As he approached his 30th anniversary, he felt it was an appropriate moment to finally “close a chapter.” While he said he has roots in the gaming industry, including interacting directly with people at local tournaments and arcades, he admitted that recent events have changed his perspective a bit on his remaining time as a creator. It is clear that the recent death of Tomonobu Itagaki has deeply affected Harada. Upon hearing the news, Harada issued a heartfelt statement and delivered a eulogy at the memorial service. “First and last,” he concludes his post in a nostalgic way. iron fist In the series, Harada released 60-minute DJ mixes of the franchises he edited.

Internally, the news is unlikely to come as a shock, as Harada has confirmed that he has been gradually handing over many of his responsibilities over the past five years. Still, Bandai Namco is the same as it is now. tekken 8 The team tracked down Harada's posts to thank him for all he has done and to confirm that he will be leaving at the end of 2019. iron fistTo celebrate his 30th anniversary, he is scheduled to appear at the Tekken World Tour 2025 Global Finals in Malmö, Sweden in early 2026 on January 30 and February 1, 2026.

The company also spoke about the future. iron fist It attempts to allay fans' concerns by reaffirming the series, the studio's commitment to the franchise, and its future development and content plans. tekken 8. In addition to player feedback, the studio plans to honor the franchise's legacy while maintaining the vision and spirit established by Harada.

Tekken 8 The Legend of the Heihachi Family Image via Bandai Namco

For many, Harada is best remembered for being very active on social media and interacting with fans on a variety of topics, usually including: iron fist Whether it's lore, update announcements, or DLC requests, sometimes you just need to put people in their place. Interestingly, Harada denied rumors at the time that he would be leaving Bandai Namco in early 2025, but looking back, it seems like those rumors had some validity.

tekken-8-switch-2-port Image via Bandai Namco

Although he is best known for his work iron fist After the franchise, Harada also took on various roles at Bandai Namco supporting numerous other projects. His farewell post revealed a few of them, as Harada noted that each post provided him with a sense of discovery and learning, giving him another “irreplaceable experience.” While he has been involved in other fighting game franchises such as Poken Tournament and soul caliburHe also Tales of Arise, dark souls 3, cord veinAnd a unique Pac-Man spin-off: shadow labyrinth.


Tekken 8 tag page cover art


released

January 26, 2024

ESRB

tea


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