Katsuhiro Harada, the Govt Director and Producer of the Tekken sequence, has shared that he will probably be leaving Bandai Namco on the finish of 2025.
The announcement comes as Tekken celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, including that it was ‘probably the most becoming second’ to step away from the FGC franchise.
Harada stated: “I’d prefer to share that I’ll be leaving Bandai Namco on the finish of 2025. With the Tekken sequence reaching its thirtieth anniversary, an essential milestone for a challenge I’ve devoted a lot of my life to, I felt this was probably the most becoming second to carry one chapter to a detailed.”
Within the assertion, Harada famous how he steadily handed over all ‘duties’, together with tales and worldbuilding, to the workforce at Bandai Namco prior to now ‘4 to 5 years’.
Harada added that whereas he’s leaving Bandai Namco on the finish of the yr, he’ll seem on the Tekken World Tour World Finals. He’ll meet the neighborhood through the Final Probability Qualifier and High 20 Finals in Malmo, Sweden, from January thirty first to February 1st, 2026. Moreover, he has launched a 60-minute Tekken DJ-style continuous combine that he himself edited, which is obtainable on Soundcloud.
It’s a stunning flip of occasions for the FGC neighborhood as Harada ends his 31-year-long tenure engaged on the Tekken franchise. Nevertheless, it isn’t the top for the director, sharing that he’ll launch plans for what comes subsequent at a ‘later date.’
Bandai Namco additionally launched its personal assertion relating to Harada’s departure, whereas commenting on what followers can anticipate from Tekken sooner or later.
Bandai Namco wrote: “We are going to proceed to take neighborhood suggestions on the sport and its content material to coronary heart to make sure that we uphold the imaginative and prescient and spirit constructed by Harada-san, dedicating our utmost efforts to make sure the legacy of the Tekken sequence continues as a combating sport franchise beloved worldwide.”
Tekken Esports in 2025
As Tekken has advanced as a franchise over time, so too has its esports scene as rivals collect throughout varied tournaments.
The franchise has stood out as probably the most celebrated aggressive titles within the combating scene, standing shoulder to shoulder with different manufacturers equivalent to Road Fighter. It has solid a number of match sequence, together with the Tekken World Tour, which held its inaugural season in 2017.
Bandai Namco’s newest entry, Tekken 8, has been featured throughout a number of worldwide occasions this yr, together with FGC match competition EVO France 2025, and was included within the 2025 Esports World Cup line-up.
