Former ‘Tekken’ Director Katsuhiro Harada Is Back With a New Game Development Company

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Summary

  • Former Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada has launched VS Studio, a new Tokyo-based game developer established as a consolidated subsidiary of SNK
  • The legendary creator departed Bandai Namco in late 2025 after a 31-year tenure and will now serve as the fledgling studio’s Representative Director and CEO
  • Operating under the philosophy “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection,” the team is actively recruiting to build next-generation gaming experiences

As a long-time Tekken fan, I was thrilled to hear Katsuhiro Harada is back! After leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025, he’s launched a new studio called VS Studio. It’s pretty amazing because it’s actually part of SNK – yes, the SNK, known for classic arcade games! It’s wild to think that creators from two of the biggest fighting game rivals are now working together – it’s going to seriously shake things up! Harada spent 31 years at his old company, basically defining 3D fighting games as we know them, so him joining a competitor is a huge deal in the industry.

While details about upcoming games are still secret, the new studio’s direction is becoming clearer. Harada explained that the “VS” in the company name stands for several key ideas, connecting to their history as a “Video game Soft” company, while also representing Visionary Standard, Volition Shift, and Vanguard Spirit. Yasuyuki Oda, a producer at SNK known for successful games like City of the Wolves, is very enthusiastic about this partnership. He mentioned that the two companies had talked for years about potentially working together and believes the results will be more impressive than anyone expects. The team, working with the guiding principle of “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection,” is now looking to hire the best people in the industry to start building their first team.

Harada’s bold plans are now possible thanks to a stronger SNK. The Osaka-based company has changed a lot recently, especially after being majority-owned by the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation in 2022. This new investment has allowed SNK to take big risks with creative projects, like popular crossovers, and now, acquiring a major fighting game studio. Hiring a leader like Harada shows SNK isn’t just relying on its classic games; it’s working to lead the future of competitive gaming. With SNK rapidly growing its development teams, everyone is watching to see what comes out of this exciting partnership. The fighting game community is already full of speculation about the innovative features this collaboration will bring to the industry.

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2026-05-13 13:26