Recently, it was confirmed that Katsuhiro Harada, known for being one of the most vocal and experienced figures in Bandai Namco and overseeing the Tekken series for decades, was to leave the Japanese company. At the time, no information was given in regards to Harada's future but now we know it's set to take his talents elsewhere as he looks to found his own developer.
This studio is set to be known as VS Studio SNK, with the latter three letters associated with the fact that SNK has officially invested in the company and is looking to subsidise it into the company's wider portfolio.
We're told that the studio will be headquartered in Tokyo and that the aim of VS Studio SNK is to "collaborate on game software development to further strengthen their development capabilities."
As this announcement is still very fresh, no official news has been shared in regards to what kinds of games VS Studio SNK will develop, but Harada has given a statement in a press release, which explains the following.
"We are pleased to announce the launch of our new game development studio, "VS Studio." VS Studio's philosophy is "Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection."
"We will combine technology, sensibility, and world-class expertise to pursue the ultimate.
From a free, open, and spacious environment, we will generate new ideas and create memorable games. We established this studio to bring this vision to life.
"The "VS" in VS Studio holds various meanings. It represents our roots in "Video game Soft (VS Development Division)," the spirit of "Versus" challenging tradition, and many other meanings symbolizing innovation and challenge, such as "Visionary Standard," "Volition Shift," and "Vanguard Spirit."
"Having been involved in game development for many years, I've constantly considered how I want to spend my time as a developer and what kind of environment allows developers to perform at their best. VS Studio is one answer to that question.
"By bringing together technology and knowledge, and working with passionate colleagues, we aim to deliver the best gaming experiences to users worldwide. VS Studio aspires to be a studio that continues to take on such challenges, and we are looking for new team members who share our vision.
"Please look forward to the future of VS Studio."
Now that this news is out in the open, hopefully it won't be too long until we begin to learn about what VS Studio SNK has in the pipeline. With SNK and Harada involved, a reasonable guess is that the fighting game genre will eventually become a little more crowded.