After three decades at the helm of the Tekken series, 55-year-old legend Katsuhiro Harada has decided to leave Bandai Namco. In a post on social media he described the whole thing as an end to this chapter of his life. Both on a personal as well as a professional level, and that the decision came naturally after witnessing several close friends and former influential colleagues retire or pass away.
Harada also mentions that he consulted none other than Ken Kutaragi regarding the decision, the "father of Playstation", who apparently gave him his support. Though he has no plans to retire yet and does have some ideas for future ventures. What exactly these are is something that he will share sometime in the future, when the timing is right.
The announcement does not come entirely out of left field, and Harada has been rather vocal in regards to the inner workings of Bandai Namco, and how it has been a great source for frustration as well as lead to many challenges for the Tekken team. This he claims, has also led to himself becoming a bit indifferent and passive, which has made things even worse.
In a farewell message he thanks all his colleagues and friends, and describes his journey with Tekken and Bandai Namco as filled with lessons. But that the time feels right, and that he now needs to move on and do something else.
"I'd like to share that I'll be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. With the TEKKEN series reaching its 30th anniversary—an important milestone for a project I've devoted much of my life to—I felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close. My roots lie in the days when I supported small local tournaments in Japanese arcades and in small halls and community centers overseas. I still remember carrying arcade cabinets by myself, encouraging people to "Please try TEKKEN," and directly facing the players right in front of me.
The conversations and atmosphere we shared in those places became the core of who I am as a developer and game creator. Even as the times changed, those experiences have remained at the center of my identity. And even after the tournament scene grew much larger, many of you continued to treat me like an old friend—challenging me at venues, inviting me out for drinks at bars. Those memories are also deeply precious to me. 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. 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. Looking back, I was fortunate to work on an extraordinary variety of projects—VR titles (such as Summer Lesson), Pokkén Tournament, the SoulCalibur series, and many others, both inside and outside the company.
Each project was full of new discoveries and learning, and every one of them became an irreplaceable experience for me. To everyone who has supported me, to communities around the world, and to all the colleagues who have walked alongside me for so many years, I offer my deepest gratitude. I'll share more about my next steps at a later date.
Thank you very much for everything"