It’s the end of an era for Katsuhiro Harada, the famed Tekken director and producer who has worked on the series for the past three decades and some change. After an over-30-year stint at publisher and developer Bandai Namco, Harada officially announced his departure from the company at the end of 2025. The announcement comes after some reflection, particularly after retirements and passings of former colleagues and others he deeply respects. He cemented his decision after a discussion with former Sony chairman and CEO Ken Kutaragi, with whom Harada worked closely for many years. As for what’s next, Harada says he’ll share more about the next steps “at a later date.” In the meantime, he took the opportunity to drop a 60-minute Tekken DJ mix, which is related to something he’s wanted to do for the past 30 years. Check out the full announcement below, from Harada’s humble beginnings pushing Tekken in person to his many accomplishments and continued passion for the series and fanbase. RELATED: Team Ninja Founder Tomonobu Itagaki Passes Away at 58 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. 【Postscript】 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/pEYofA4yXOwyC7 lj0O December 8, 2025 – The Final Day of TEKKEN’s 30th Anniversary – Katsuhiro Harada Source: Katsuhiro Harada on X (formerly Twitter)
