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Tekken Lead Katsuhiro Harada to Leave Bandai Namco: 'I Felt This Was the Most Fitting Moment to Bring One Chapter to a Close'
Katsuhiro Harada cites personal losses and structural issues at Bandai Namco after nearly 30 years directing Tekken, with Tekken 8 selling 3 million copies in its first year, publisher said.
- Katsuhiro Harada announced he will depart Bandai Namco at the end of 2025, closing a defining chapter as Tekken's longtime director and producer during its 30th anniversary.
- Because of recent losses and the split between development and publishing, Harada said he reflected on his remaining time as a creator, citing close friends and senior colleagues and his move to the game development studio side a few years ago.
- Addressing the premium DLC controversy, Harada engaged publicly as fans accused Bandai Namco of `corporate greed`, while Tekken 8 sold 3 million copies a year from release.
- Amid the announcement, Harada confirmed plans to reorganize the Tekken business and organisational structure to better meet Tekken community expectations, and he will share more about his next steps at a later date.
- Years of public candour and management tensions mean Katsuhiro Harada's departure marks a crossroads after his community-first identity rooted in Japanese arcades and the Colonel Sanders anecdote.
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37 Articles
Tekken Boss Katsuhiro Harada Is Leaving Bandai Namco After 30 Years
It's not often that celebrity game developers step down from their posts, or personally survey how their games perform in international arcades, but Katsuhiro Harada has done both. After three decades with the Tekken (Japanese: Iron Fist) fighting game series, including directing since Tekken 3 (1997), Harada has formally announced his coming
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Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution80% Center
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