Tekken boss announces exit after 31 years with DJ megamix

One of the biggest personalities in fighting games is leaving Tekken behind, and has released an hour-long mix of classic tracks from the series to mark the occasion.

Tekken has been a tentpole fighting game franchise since it first debuted on the original PlayStation in 1994, and an instrumental figure to its ongoing success is Katsuhiro Harada.

Harada, 55, has worked on the Tekken franchise since its inception, but he stepped up as a director on 1997’s acclaimed Tekken 3. He’s served as an executive director and producer on the franchise ever since, while being a general manager at publisher Bandai Namco.

In a post on X, Harada announced he’s officially leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025, bringing an end to his work on the Tekken franchise after 31 years.

‘With the Tekken series reaching its 30th anniversary – an important milestone for a project I’ve devoted much of my life to – I felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close,’ he wrote on X.

‘My roots lie in the days when I supported small local tournaments in Japanese arcades and in small halls and community centres overseas. I still remember carrying arcade cabinets by myself, encouraging people to ‘Please try TEKKEN,’ and directly facing the players right in front of me.

‘The conversations and atmosphere we shared in those places became the core of who I am as a developer and game creator.’

Harada explains that, over recent years, he’s experienced ‘the loss of several close friends in my personal life’ and the retirement or passing of ‘many senior colleagues whom I deeply respect’, which caused him to reflect on the ‘time I have left as a creator’.

This includes Dead Or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki, who died in October. Despite Itagaki’s pretended hatred for Tekken, the two were close friends and Harada gave an eulogy at his funeral.

One of the key figures who advised Harada on this decision to leave was Ken Kutaragi, the former chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment who oversaw the original PlayStation.

‘During that period, I sought advice from Ken Kutaragi – whom I respect as though he were another father – and received invaluable encouragement and guidance,’ Harada added. ‘His words quietly supported me in making this decision.’

Harada says he’s ‘gradually handed over all my of responsibilities’, including the stories and worldbuilding of Tekken, over ‘the past four to five years’ to others on the team.

‘To everyone who has supported me, to communities around the world and to all the colleagues who have walked alongside me for so many years, I offer my deepest gratitude. I’ll share more about my next steps at a later date. Thank you very much for everything.’

While it’s unclear if Harada will remain in the games industry, the news of his departure from Tekken might not surprise those within fighting game circles.

In interviews last year, Harada said he ‘might only have one more Tekken’ left in him, following Tekken 8, and he’s tackled questions recently of what the future of the series could look like without him.

He might be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of this year, but Harada did confirm he will still make an appearance at the Tekken World Tour Finals ‘as a guest’ in Malmö, Sweden, which kick off on January 29, 2026.

Incredibly, Harada marked his departure with an extra gift for Tekken fans: an hour-long megamix of classic tracks from the series, edited by himself.

‘For 30 years I kept saying, ‘I’ll do it someday,’ and never once performed as a DJ at a tournament event,’ he added. ‘So instead, I will be releasing – for the first and last time – a 60 minute Tekken DJ-style non-stop mix, personally edited by myself, together with this announcement.

‘Listening to it brings back many memories. Thank you again, sincerely, for all these years.’

The last instalment in the series, Tekken 8, was released in January last year. Just last week, the game’s second season pass came to a close with the arrival of Miary Zo.

Following the announcement of Harada’s exit, the Tekken team shared an update on the future of the series, stating they are ‘fully committed to future development and content plans for Tekken 8’.

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