Tekken 8 Game Director Leaves Bandai Namco After 20 Years
Bandai Namco continues to lose veterans of the iconic Tekken series.
Industry veteran and Tekken 8 Game Director Kohei Ikeda, known by the pseudonym Nakatsu, announced his departure from Bandai Namco. The developer left the company after 20 years of service.
Ikeda's career began as a battle effects director and game designer for Soulcalibur IV. He later contributed to many key fighting games for the publisher: he was a game designer for Tekken Tag Tournament 2, a producer for Tekken 3D: Prime Edition, and a director and game director for Tekken 7 and Tekken 8.
In a farewell letter, Ikeda thanked the development team and the global fighting game community:
"Being surrounded by passionate and incredibly talented mentors and colleagues, dedicating ourselves to game development together – this will remain one of the most valuable experiences of my life. <...> Whether it was the words 'Thank you for your hard work!' at an event or comments like 'You need to balance the game better!' – each of these comments supported and motivated me. For this, I am truly grateful."
Ikeda's departure continues a series of major changes in Bandai Namco's fighting game division. Earlier, in December 2025, another Tekken veteran, Katsuhiro Harada, left the company after more than 31 years of service and recently headed the new VS Studio under SNK.
Despite concluding his work at Bandai Namco, Kohei Ikeda emphasized that he does not intend to leave the industry and "will continue to take on new challenges as a game developer." He handed over the reins of the series and its key values to the Tekken Project team, which will continue to develop the franchise.
Tekken 7
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