After three decades shaping Tekken, Katsuhiro Harada says goodbye in two blunt lines and closes a chapter fans never thought would end.
For 31 years, Katsuhiro Harada was Tekken. He joined Namco in the early 1990s, moved from sales into development, and went on to lead the series from its arcade origins through its rise as a global fighting game mainstay. Tekken turned 30 under his watch and became a fixture of esports and a pillar of Bandai Namco’s lineup.
Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada declares his era “dead”
On December 31, Harada posted a short message on X: “I’m no longer a developer / creator of the TEKKEN series. Harada_TEKKEN is completely dead.”
The post followed an earlier announcement on December 7 confirming Harada would leave Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. The company echoed his message, reposting it from the official Tekken account and stressing that nothing changes for Tekken 8, its DLC plans, or the franchise’s long-term roadmap. Harada was even invited back as a guest for the Tekken World Tour Finals in January 2026.
As for why now, neither side framed the exit as a split or dispute. Bandai Namco described it as Harada’s decision and thanked him for more than three decades of work.
Harada himself has been candid about the timing. “With the TEKKEN series reaching its 30th anniversary,” he shared on X earlier this month, “I felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close.”
Over the past four to five years, he had already been handing off responsibilities, including story and worldbuilding, to the next generation.
So, Tekken will continue without its most visible figurehead, led by a team Harada helped prepare. Still, for many fans, seeing Harada declare his own handle “completely dead” made it real.
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