Tekken fans' fears have been confirmed: Katsuhiro Harada is leaving Bandai Namco Entertainment after more than 30 years of service. The 30th-anniversary celebration of the series is coming to an end, and by this point, Harada has worked on the franchise for 31 years.
The developer, associated with the Tekken series since its creation and the first to voice the characters Marshall Law, Kunimitsu, and Yoshimitsu, has now served as the series' producer. He has announced his departure from Bandai Namco Entertainment. Previously, in January, Harada stated his willingness to collaborate with other studios, but those words were later refuted.
Harada said that he made the decision after witnessing the retirement and death of close friends. He sought advice from the founder of PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, which prompted him to focus on the time he had left. In recent years, he has gradually handed over all responsibility for the series to the TEKKEN team.
Although the creator is officially saying goodbye to the franchise, he is not leaving for good. Tekken representatives have confirmed that he has been invited to the Tekken World Tour finals at the end of January and will be present as a guest. The developer also made it clear that he is not retiring yet and will soon announce new plans.
