After 31 years at Bandai Namco Entertainment and stewarding the Tekken franchise, Katsuhiro Harada left the company in 2025. In a social media post, Harada explained that his decision to leave the company was after reflecting on “the loss of several close friends in my personal life, and in my professional life, I witnessed the retirement or passing of many senior colleagues whom I deeply respect.” After months of speculation about what was next for the fighting game visionary, a post by both Harada and SNK has answered the speculation. Today, SNK announced the new studio led by Harada, VS Studio.
Harada mentions that the new studio will be “Built on the knowledge and passion we have cultivated over many years on the front lines of game development, we are now beginning a new challenge.” On an SNK site post, Harada also confirms the philosophy and motto that will drive this new studio: “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection.” The studio aims to use the latest technology and world-class expertise to create the ultimate experience.
Harada continues to explain that, after many years of involvement in game development, he constantly considers how to allocate his developer time and what would be the ideal environment for developers to perform at their best. According to Harada, VS Studio is one answer to those questions. Yasuyuki Oda from SNK also shares a few words in the SNK post, stating that this new collaboration is a dream come true after years of discussing the idea of working together with Harada. Oda also mentions that “nothing has been decided yet” on the studio’s work, but that, nonetheless, things will become even more exciting than before.
However, in another interview, Harada confirms that while VS Studio is under the umbrella of SNK and a member of the EGDC, it is still a completely independent studio. What do you think of this announcement? Are you happy for Harada’s new home? Let us know in the comments below, and for more fighting games news, stay tuned to GameObserver.
