Tekken Director Katsuhiro Harada Is Leaving Bandai Namco After 31 Years

Katushiro Harada, veteran poster and the director of the Tekken series, has announced he is leaving Bandai Namco after 31 years.

In a lengthy post on his X account, Harada said that the end of 2025 will see him leave the company, and that with Tekken reaching its 30th anniversary last year, right now felt like the “most fitting moment” to bring this chapter of his life to a close. Harada reflected on his “roots,” which involved promoting Tekken to players in Japanese arcades; he says that those days immersed in local fighting scenes both in Japan and in community centers overseas “became the core of who [he was] as a developer and game creator.” While reflecting on the past, Harada also said that recent personal tragedies and professional movement helped him come to this decision.

“In recent years, I 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,” Harada wrote. “Those accumulated events made me reflect on the ‘time I have left as a creator.’ During that period, I sought advice from Ken Kutaragi—whom I respect as though he were another father—and received invaluable encouragement and guidance.

His words quietly supported me in making this decision.

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.”

Harada signs off by saying he will still be attending the Tekken World Tour finals in January as a guest, and by dropping an hour-long Tekken mix called “Tekken: A 30-Year Journey – Harada’s Final Mix” on Soundcloud.

Harada served as a voice actor in the first two Tekken games before stepping up to the director role with Tekken 3 in 1997. He’s also worked on other fighting game series, such as Soulcalibur and Pokken Tournament, and contributed to various other Bandai Namco games as a producer and supervisor. In 2019, Harada became the lead of the company’s overall fighting game esports division, and was promoted to a general manager. Tekken 8 launched last year to high praise and will be Harada’s final work on the series and at Bandai Namco. Though he doesn’t say what’s next for him, Harada will be remembered both in and out of the Tekken community for his candid posting on social media, both in joking with players and in responding to criticism.