Tekken loses another key figure: after Harada, Kohei Ikeda also leaves
The game director of Tekken 7 and 8 bids farewell to Bandai Namco
Tekken 8 was the last installment in the series made by a historical figure like Katsuhiro Harada, who, after a lifetime spent within Bandai Namco, decided to start anew at SNK with VS Studio. Harada's future will still involve fighting games, but what will become of Tekken's? Obviously, Bandai Namco will continue to focus on what remains one of its main series; we will undoubtedly see Tekken 9 one day, but today another one of the franchise's certainties has departed.
Tekken has lost another director
Now that Harada has left, someone will have to take the reins of the Tekken franchise, and among the likely candidates, we would have certainly mentioned Japanese developer Kohei Ikeda Nakatsu, who served as director for Tekken 7 and 8 (alongside Harada). However, Ikeda has just announced that he has also left Bandai Namco, after working for the company for a full 20 years.
We will see who will take on the responsibility for the glorious fighting game series (and above all, what direction will be taken in the future). Not long ago, Tekken lost another of its historical directors, Yuichi Yonemori, who, coincidentally, joined VS Studio with Harada. Who knows if Ikeda is destined to follow the same path?
Announcement:
— Kohei IkedaNakatsu (@nkt_dreamer) June 1, 2026
After 20 incredible years, I have left Bandai Namco Studios.
Thank you all for your support.
20#TEKKEN #TEKKEN8 #8 pic.twitter.com/3Xip9DOy5z