Katsuhiro Harada, former chief of the Tekken franchise, is lastly revealing some particulars about his subsequent sport at the moment within the works at his unbiased improvement home, VS Studio.
Harada famously exited Bandai Namco earlier this yr, leaving his decades-long publish on the firm as Tekken’s guiding pressure to make his personal studio. A subsidiary of SNK, VS Studio has been slowly constructing its ranks over the previous few months, snagging several former members of Tekken’s key improvement workers.
And whereas he’s been fairly quiet about what precisely VS Studio is cooking up, he shed some gentle on its present initiatives in a September 2026 interview with VideoGamesChronicle, and it’s tentatively wanting like excellent news for followers of his earlier video games.
When requested if VS Studio’s subsequent sport can be a preventing sport, or if the event home goals to be a “genre-agnostic” firm, Harada had this to say: “What I can say is that there are some members who I’ve labored with previously who’ve joined the corporate, however that is purely voluntary.
“…the title that we’re creating has not been disclosed, however as I stated earlier, I don’t wish to betray our followers’ expectations. The sport that we’re growing will probably be some form of shock, however relaxation assured, it isn’t one thing that’s exterior of expectations,” he answered.
Whereas this assertion doesn’t affirm something, it does level to the truth that Harada is making one thing that’s a minimum of considerably within the realm of what followers expect — and that, to us, sounds quite a bit like a preventing sport. (It is also price noting that Harada himself stated he wanted to develop a new fighting game in an interview with Den-fami Nico Gamer after the information of VS Studio was first introduced.) Whether or not it’s a completely new IP or a brand new installment of an present franchise stays to be seen, however SNK’s chief publishing officer, Ozan Kocoglu, says VS Studio isn’t against each making authentic titles and increasing on their earlier works.
“I believe it may be each. I don’t assume we ought to be restricted to 1 street or the opposite. I believe Harada-san can deliver a wealth of expertise into supporting our present IPs in rising otherwise, or going to the following stage alongside folks like Oda-san. However on the identical time, as SNK is rising to develop into a lot larger and a brand new firm, we additionally want contemporary concepts,” he stated.
“We additionally must construct new IP pillars that, you understand, he may very well be engaged on, in order that they’ll truly enrich the SNK portfolio past what we’ve got. I positively see Harada-san having the ability to do each, and it’ll rely upon what he needs to do and the way, and particularly on which IP he may collaborate on with a few of our improvement leads sooner or later.”
Kocoglu revealed that SNK is in a interval of “aggressive progress,” saying the corporate wants a “contemporary perspective” as a way to hold transferring ahead. He additionally sees “no motive” why VS Studio ought to be a “one-off” for SNK, calling Harada a “welcome addition when it comes to DNA with what we’ve been constructing to this point.”
“However will we wish to cease at solely VS Studio? I don’t assume that’s the thought. I believe it’s going to be, okay, what are the brand new alternatives we will discover out there? How will we wish to develop as an organization? Personally, I believe SNK has a robust DNA in action-related video games. So anybody who makes an action-related venture may probably be a part of us sooner or later on a case-by-case foundation,” he added.
Harada went on to say that VS Studio has a “very excessive degree of freedom,” and that whereas the staff can “create something we wish,” they’re nonetheless beholden to what followers and gamers count on of them.
“What I wish to shield is what I’m good at, in addition to meet the expectations that my followers have. On high of that, I additionally wish to collaborate with SNK. We are able to share the online game experience that we’ve got and improve our strengths for each of us when it comes to the methods to create video video games. So, specializing in what I’m good at, holding in thoughts participant expectations as properly, and having shut collaboration with SNK,” he stated.
Harada additionally opened up about his ideas on the way forward for the Tekken franchise now that he’s left Bandai Namco, revealing that he’s been mentoring present members of its workers whereas he works to develop VS Studio.
“I’ve no data of what Tekken has in retailer after my departure, so I believe it might be nice if you happen to may all attain out to Bandai Namco. For now, I can solely speculate, like how followers are speculating as properly. However one factor I can say is that I’ve been working onerous to mentor the staff members of Tekken, and I can assure that the members who’re nonetheless engaged on it have developed and grown. So I’m wanting ahead to the way forward for Tekken as a fan.”
Tekken 8, it appears, is becoming a member of the ranks of different mainline preventing video games who’re including wildcard visitor characters to their rosters, with Baki’s Yujiro Hanma set to hitch the combat in early 2027. We received the prospect to interview Tekken series chief producer Naoya Yasuda about why the staff selected this character and the way on this planet they plan on balancing the sport across the ‘strongest man on earth’ when he lastly drops subsequent yr.
Picture Credit: SIA KAMBOU/AFP by way of Getty Photos
Virginia Glaze
Information Editor
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s Information Editor. With ten years of expertise reporting on video games and leisure, she’s received a storied background within the preventing sport group, influencer information, and viral on-line developments. Discover her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.