Katsuhiro Harada is leaving Tekken after 30 years.
Tekken has just gotten a bombshell. We all expected this day to happen. We just did not expect it to arrive for many more years. But yes, Tekken Godfather Katsuhiro Harada has announced his departure from Bandai Namco after 30 years with the franchise.
He announced it on his official Twitter account, detailing his departure and sharing a heartfelt message about leaving the franchise. He explained that he will be leaving at the end of 2025. As expected, fans were overwhelmed by his announcement and flooded his page with messages of support and gratitude for his contributions to an iconic franchise.
Harada’s first work for Tekken was as a voice actor for the iconic characters Yoshimitsu, Kunimitsu, and Marshall Law, beginning in 1994. Then, over the years, he got involved in other Bandai Namco titles, such as Soul Calibur, Ace Combat, and Dark Souls.
His latest works include Shadow Labyrinth and, of course, last year’s instalment in the franchise, Tekken 8. It was initially met with generally positive reviews. However, as time has gone by, with new seasons and updates, it has been increasingly criticized for its releases.
Thankfully, it seems the majority of the player base has put their new feelings about the game aside and given a much-deserved farewell to a franchise legend, honouring his legacy, especially on the 30th anniversary of Tekken. As for the future of Tekken 8? We have been assured that the company is committed to the game’s future and will continue to take community feedback.
There is currently no word on who will be replacing Harada. This is an emotional time as someone instrumental to this franchise is actually leaving. On behalf of GamesCreed, we would like to thank you for everything you have done for Tekken, and we wish you the best of luck on your new journey.
