Katsuhiro Harada's heartfelt farewell to Itagaki

Katsuhiro Harada, at the helm of the Tekken series since its third installment, had a relationship with Tomonobu Itagaki that was as deep as it was complicated, built on friendship and competition. Their rivalry and that of their respective fighting game series, Tekken and Dead or Alive, is well-known to fans. It's no surprise then that Harada expressed his condolences for Itagaki's sudden passing.

It’s hard to believe, but Itagaki-san…my senior from university and my rival as a creator has passed away.
The last message I ever received from him was,

“Let’s go drinking. Let&squo;s make some noise soon!”

To think that he’s gone at just 58 years old…

Yes, everyone dies… https://t.co/38uTQO6CRw pic.twitter.com/rd5YpWZ5Qi

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) October 16, 2025

In his post, Harada shared a farewell message entrusted by Itagaki himself. The relationship between the two Japanese game designers dates back to the 90s and has gone through various phases: Harada himself recounted it a few months ago, in this very long tweet.