Tekken Project producer Katsuhiro Harada announced, that he will be leaving Namco Bandai after his 30-plus years with the company, at the end of 2025. Harada took to Twitter to share his update.
Tekken as a franchise has celebrated its’ 30-year anniversary this year, so the timing does feel bittersweet. Once a voiceover for various Tekken characters in 1994, Harada rose to different heights within the Tekken project. Harada has also been a part of several other Namco Bandai projects during his stay including Soulcalibur and Ace Combat.
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…
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) December 8, 2025
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.
Harada’s move is definitely one that will be felt with those who have played any of the games that he has produced within the Namco walls. Even after Tekken 8’s Season 2 unfavorable reactions, Harada has still made sure that questions were answered, and course correction was happening. Harada has appeared at several tournament events and even played in them himself. He coined a particular phrase that became a staple within the community.
Tecmo’s Tomonobu Itagaki, the father of Dead Or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, impacted Harada especially with Itagaki’s passing this year. The reflection and encourgement from even the father of PlayStation – Ken Kutaragi – could have influenced Harada to consider the move.
As to where “Don’t Ask Me For Sheet” Katsuhiro Harada will be going next remains to be seen. No, he didn’t update his LinkedIn. He does have a special treat for everyone. He’ll be still appearing at the TWT Finals this January. Also..
Although I will be leaving the company at the end of 2025, Bandai Namco has asked me to appear at the TWT Finals at the end of January 2026, so I expect to attend as a guest.
For 30 years I kept saying, “I’ll do it someday,” and never once performed as a DJ at a tournament event.
So instead, I will be releasing—for the first and last time—a 60-minute TEKKEN DJ-style nonstop mix (DJ mix), personally edited by myself, together with this announcement.
Listening to it brings back many memories.
Thank you again, sincerely, for all these years.‘TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada’s Final Mix’ by Katsuhiro Harada 1 is on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/pEYofA4yXOwyC7lj0O
December 8, 2025 – The Final Day of TEKKEN’s 30th Anniversary –
Katsuhiro Harada
Harada’s Final Mix is available now on Sound Cloud.
