Katsuhiro Harada Reassures Fans as He Reflects on Life After Tekken

Katsuhiro Harada, formerly of Bandai Namco, has taken to reassuring fans about the future while enjoying something of a victory lap as he closes the chapter on over 30 years of stellar service. The creative force behind much of Tekken as fans know it today left his position at Bandai Namco at the tail end of 2025, and his absence is already being felt.

Harada’s departure comes at a rocky moment for Tekken 8, which has yet to fully recover from the poor reception to its second season. On top of that, the scene has recently been shaken by allegations of cheating within the Tekken World Tour, with some entrants accused of manipulating the system to secure qualification.

Despite this turbulence, Harada has been active on social media, offering reassurance and perspective to concerned fans. In one exchange with a Tekken account lamenting his departure, particularly the loss of the “aura” surrounding major Tekken announcements, Harada responded candidly:

“It’ll be okay. People are built to move forward by forgetting.
Do you remember exactly what you were doing on this day a few years ago? Most people don’t.
But life kept going the whole time… and the hype, the surprise, all of it gets carried on to the next person. That’s just how it works.”

Another particularly touching interaction came when Harada replied to a post by the father of professional player King Rey Jr., who shared a photo of his son as a child alongside Harada. The post was meant to show support for King Rey Jr., who has qualified for the Tekken World Tour Finals and will be competing for the grand prize.

Harada explained that moments like these are when the weight of his influence truly hits home:

“People often tell me at all kinds of events, ‘Your game had a huge impact on me when I was a kid!’
But to be honest, it’s hard for that to really sink in… I don’t always feel what that actually means.
Still, when I look at this photo, sometimes it suddenly becomes real.
And it also makes me realize that I’m getting older at a much faster pace than I think.”

Harada will undoubtedly be missed, but his words underline a universal truth: people move on, roles change, and life continues. Tekken 8 will keep evolving, and before long, the series will move toward its next chapter, eventually becoming the first Tekken title without its legendary producer at the helm.