Katsuhiro Harada, the longtime leader of the Tekken franchise who departed Bandai Namco earlier this year to establish his own independent studio, has offered his first substantial details about what he is building. In a September 2026 interview with VideoGamesChronicle, Harada confirmed that VS Studio, the SNK-subsidiary development house he founded and has been quietly assembling over recent months, is working on an undisclosed title that he insists will not betray the expectations of his long-time fans.
Harada’s exit from Bandai Namco this year ended a decades-long tenure as the guiding force behind one of fighting gaming’s most enduring series. He went on to found VS Studio, which has slowly grown its ranks by attracting several former members of Tekken’s core development staff. While he had remained deliberately quiet about the studio’s specific projects, his latest comments suggest that fans of his previous work have reason to be optimistic.
A Title That Stays Within Fans’ Expectations
When asked whether VS Studio’s next game would be a fighting title or whether the studio intends to operate as a “genre-agnostic” company, Harada stopped short of confirming anything specific. He acknowledged that familiar collaborators had joined the team but emphasized this was done voluntarily.
“The title that we are creating has not been disclosed, but as I said earlier, I don’t want to betray our fans’ expectations. The game that we’re developing will be some kind of surprise, but rest assured, it is not something that is outside of expectations.”
Katsuhiro Harada, VS Studio
The statement does little to confirm the genre outright, yet it strongly implies a project within the realm of what players anticipate from Harada. This aligns with comments he made shortly after VS Studio was first announced, when he told Den-fami Nico Gamer that he wanted to develop a new fighting game. Whether the title represents an entirely original intellectual property or a new installment in an existing franchise remains unclear.
SNK Sees Harada as Capable of Both Original and Legacy Work
According to SNK’s chief publishing officer Ozan Kocoglu, VS Studio is not restricted from pursuing either path. He believes Harada can bring his considerable experience to bear on both new intellectual property and the expansion of existing franchises.
“I think it can be both. I don’t think we should be limited to one road or the other… SNK is growing to become much bigger and a new company, so we also need fresh ideas. We also need to build new IP pillars that he could be working on, so that they can actually enrich the SNK portfolio beyond what we have.”
Ozan Kocoglu, SNK chief publishing officer
Kocoglu described SNK as being in a period of “aggressive growth,” arguing that the studio requires a fresh perspective to keep advancing. He dismissed any notion that VS Studio would be a one-off arrangement for the publisher, praising Harada as a strong fit with what the company has been building. He also hinted at broader ambitions beyond a single studio.
“Personally, I think SNK has a strong DNA in action-related games. So anyone who makes an action-related project could potentially join us in the future on a case-by-case basis.”
Ozan Kocoglu, SNK chief publishing officer
Freedom Balanced Against Player Expectations
Harada described VS Studio as operating with “very high level of freedom,” noting that while the team can create anything it wants, it remains mindful of what fans and players expect. He framed his collaboration with SNK as a mutual exchange of expertise.
“What I want to protect is what I’m good at, as well as meet the expectations that my fans have… We can share the video game expertise that we have and enhance our strengths for both of us in terms of the ways to create video games.”
Katsuhiro Harada, VS Studio
Looking Ahead
Beyond his own studio’s plans, Harada also reflected on the future of Tekken now that he has left Bandai Namco. He said he lacks knowledge of what awaits the franchise after his departure and encouraged fans to direct questions to the publisher, though he insisted the team still working on the series has grown under his mentorship.
“I have been working hard to mentor the team members of Tekken, and I can guarantee that the members who are still working on it have evolved and grown. So I’m looking forward to the future of Tekken as a fan.”
Meanwhile, Tekken 8 continues its expansion with wildcard guest characters joining the roster. Baki’s Yujiro Hanma is set to arrive in early 2027, following interviews Harada’s former colleagues have given about balancing the game around the character billed as the strongest man on earth.
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