"I didn’t have a single ally": Tekken 4's negative reception put series boss Katsuhiro Harada under so much stress that he left Namco for a year

Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada has revealed how the reception to Tekken 4 affected him, sharing that he actually left Namco before returning for its sequel.

It feels like with every new Tekken release there's a group of the fanbase labeling it "the worst Tekken ever" within a year. We're seeing it right now with Tekken 8 we saw it with Tekken 7, and I'm sure we'll see it with whatever's next. But if there's a game that is almost unanimously considered 'the worst Tekken,' it's got to be Tekken 4. Now, following up the one-two punch of Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament is undoubtedly a daunting task (and you could argue whatever came after would be disliked no matter how good it is), but some of the big changes in Tekken 4 just did not hit at the time.

Responding to a fan praising the game on Twitter, Harada said, "I’m aware of that kind of praise. But back then, I was absolutely bombarded with criticism." Adding, "I didn’t have a single ally. Not one." He revealed that the stress of Tekken 4's release affected his health, saying, "I was under so much stress at the time that I developed a mysterious condition where all the hair on the right side of my body fell out."

Harada later revealed that Tekken 4 caused him to leave Namco (now Bandai Namco), where he has worked since starting his game career. "There was a period — just for about a year before development on Tekken 5 began — when I left Namco due to the stress and shock. It’s not a widely known fact, though." Tekken 5 went on to become arguably the most beloved game in the series outside of Tekken 3, so it turned out pretty well.

The Tekken producer did acknowledge that Tekken 4 is less of a punching bag than it was back in the 2000s, saying, "Now, in the present day, the critics have all forgotten their complaints, and only those who want to praise the game remain. That’s the only reason it's being treated like a masterpiece." But, regardless of its quality, Harada says that Tekken 4 "remains a constant reminder and lesson to myself."

Speaking of which, a new Tekken game has just been announced in the form of Tekken: The Board Game.