Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda has revealed where he's ended up after leaving Bandai Namco, and turns out he's also reuniting with former series boss Katsuhiro Harada at his new studio.
Fighting games can change on a whim, and nowhere has that been felt more this generation than with Tekken 8. The latest in Bandai Namco's flagship series launched to pretty high acclaim, but with the disastrous Tekken 8 Season 2 launch and a season 3 launch that also went down like a lead balloon, it's now in a far less favorable position.
On top of that, series lead Katsuhiro Harada left the studio after 31 years to form VS Studio under SNK, alongside departures from his Tekken 8 co-directors Kohei Ikeda and Yasuki Nakabayashi, as well as producer Yohei Shimbori, all within the past year.
However, Ikeda has now revealed his new home, and it's right back with Harada. In a post on Twitter (via Eurogamer) Ikeda reveals: "I've joined VS Studio as the next step in my journey." His presence at the studio not only reunites Ikeda with Harada, but also Tekken 7 director Yuichi Yonemori, who joined the studio after leaving Bandai Namco earlier this year.
【A Quick Update】I’ve joined VS STUDIO as the next step in my journey.Working on games again with two of my former bosses feels nostalgic in many ways, while at the same time, the excitement of creating something completely new makes every day incredibly fulfilling.I’m… pic.twitter.com/f2lwFi0dkLAugust 18, 2026
"Working on games again with two of my former bosses feels nostalgic in many ways," Ikeda says, adding, "while at the same time, the excitement of creating something completely new makes every day incredibly fulfilling." He continues: "I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can create together!"
What exactly VS Studio is working on remains a mystery. However, given Harada's comments when he was at the head of the Tekken team, he's been very keen for 3D fighting games to have a resurgence and give some competition to Tekken in the space. Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive have since announced new entries, but based on the talent at the studio, I'd say it would be a pretty safe guess that Harada's team could be aiming to create a new 3D fighting game icon.
