Katsuhiro Harada, a Bandai Namco Entertainment veteran who worked on the Tekken franchise for 30 years (he was the voice of Yoshimitsu in 1994’s Tekken), has announced the formation of a new studio with fighting game legends SNK.
Harada-san announced his departure from Bandai Namco Games late last year, although he still showed up at the Tekken World Tour Finals as a guest, where he closed out his time wearing a t-shirt on stage with his famous catch phrase, “don’t ask me for shit!” to rapturous applause. He’s now revealed his next step: heading up SNK Vs Studio, based in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Here’s what he had to say:
VS Studio’s philosophy is ‘Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection.’ We will combine technology, sensibility, and world-class expertise to pursue the ultimate. From a free, open, and spacious environment, we will generate new ideas and create memorable games. We established this studio to bring this vision to life.
Having been involved in game development for many years, I’ve constantly considered how I want to spend my time as a developer and what kind of environment allows developers to perform at their best. VS Studio is one answer to that question. By bringing together technology and knowledge, and working with passionate colleagues, we aim to deliver the best gaming experiences to users worldwide.
Yasuyuki Oda of SNK added his own statement:
I am extremely proud to welcome Mr. Katsuhiro Harada, who has been a long-time friend and a worthy rival to us, into our group. We’ve long discussed the hypothetical scenario of working together, and now that dream has become a reality. To be honest, nothing has been decided yet, but I have no doubt that things will become even more exciting than ever before. We look forward to your continued support for SNK and VS Studio.
Originally starting out as a voice actor on Tekken and Tekken 2 (in addition the aforementioned Yoshimitsu, he also voiced Marshall Law and Kunimitsu), before serving as director on Tekken 3, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken 4, and Tekken 5. He then served as a major force behind subsequent sequels, and also contributed to other projects including Soulcalibur IV, Project X Zone, Street Fighter x Tekken, Lost Reavers. His final Tekken role was executive producer for Tekken 8, which launched in 2024 and recently entered its third season of content.