Harada Is Back: Tekken Legend Returns With New Studio With SNK Backing

Legendary fighting game developer Katsuhiro Harada, the mastermind behind the Tekken series for many years, has established a new studio and will start developing games again.

In a surprising move, Harada debuted his new studio, VS Studios SNK, which already has an office space and an official website. The company was established with significant investment from SNK, a fellow fighting game developer and longtime industry peer of Bandai Namco, Harada's former employers.

Harada appeared in a short announcement video in which he outlined his desire to develop fun games with trusted colleagues following his Tekken days. On the naming convention behind VS, Harada acknowledged that many fans might assume the studio intends to produce fighting games, but was clear that this is not necessarily the case. While a fighting game may well be in the works, the philosophy behind VS has more to do with the values that Harada and his collaborators hold dear.

Will VS Studio Be An Independent Body?

One of the first questions to arise after the announcement was whether VS Studio SNK is a separate entity from SNK, who are major investors and even landlords, given that the VS Studio office is located within the SNK building. In an interview with Japanese outlet Denfaminicogamer, Harada addressed this directly. The interview was conducted in Japanese, but the English translation made clear that VS Studio SNK considers itself a separate entity that is not owned by SNK, but operates under the SNK umbrella.

What Next for Harada and VS Studio SNK?

Harada officially left Bandai Namco on the last day of 2025. While fans had long suspected he would return to game development in some capacity, few expected it to happen this soon.

As the face of Tekken for many years, there is considerable expectation that VS Studio will engage with fighting games in one form or another. What remains unclear is whether they will take the risk of building a new IP or lean into familiar content and legacy characters. With SNK's support, it is easy to imagine a scenario in which Harada has a free run at the rich catalogue of fighting game characters SNK has built over the decades.

The community reaction to the announcement has been exactly what you would expect from a figure of Harada's stature. Social media filled quickly with responses from fans pleased to see the veteran returning to what he does best. Among those to react was Spag, one of the most prominent voices in the Tekken scene, who said, "Very happy to see that Harada will continue to work in game dev, drawing upon his many years of success and experience.

"Following closely and excited about what he and his team bring."

The sentiment was widely shared and the general feeling across the community is that this is a development worth celebrating. If Harada can produce anything close to the legacy he built with Tekken, the games that come out of VS Studio SNK will be worth the wait.