News
Tekken Director Katsuhiro Harada Leaves Bandai Namco
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Monday marked the final day of Tekken's 30th anniversary.
Harada explained that in recent years, he experiencd the loss of several close friends in his personal life, and witnessed the retirement or death of senior colleagues whom he respected. He stated, "Those accumulated events made me reflect on the 'time I have left as a creator.'" He added during that time he sought advice from Ken Kutaragi (known as "The Father of the PlayStation") and "received invaluable encouragement and guidance."
Harada said that over the past five years he has been gradually handing over his responsibilities, and stories and worldbuilding he oversaw, to his team.
He then addressed his fans, saying:
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.
He also released a 60-minute DJ-style nonstop mix for Tekken that he edited himself alongside the announcement.
Harada said he will still appear as a guest at the Tekken World Tour Finals that will take place in Sweden from January 29 through February 1.
The official X/Twitter account for the Tekken franchise also posted a message regarding Harada's departure and the future of the franchise. The statement noted Harada, as the Executive Director and Executive Producer of the Tekken franchise, "deeply contributed" to marking the milestone of 30 years. The post stated about the future of the franchise:
To our fans, rest assured that we are fully committed to future development and content plans for "TEKKEN 8." We will continue to take community feedback on the game and its content to heart to ensure that we uphold the vision and spirit built by Harada-san, dedicating our utmost efforts to ensure the legacy of the TEKKEN series continues as a fighting game franchise beloved worldwide.
We express our deepest gratitude to Harada-san for providing us with vision and continued success over the years.
Harada is best-known as the producer and director of the Tekken fighting game series. Harada currently serves as a general manager at Bandai Namco, as well as a lead for the fighting game esports division of the company.
The director began his career in Namco as a promoter, surpassing sales records in his first year. After receiving a commendation from the president of the company, he moved into game development. Harada has provided his voice for numerous characters in the franchise including Marshall Law and Yoshimitsu. He first served as director on Tekken 3. He has also contributed to a few titles in the Soulcalibur franchise, and has worked on Summer Lesson and Pokkén Tournament.
Sources: Katsuhiro Harada's X/Twitter account, Tekken franchise's X/Twitter account via Hachima Kiko
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
