Katsuhiro Harada, the veteran behind the Tekken fighting game series, has offered new insights into the upcoming title being developed at his independent studio, VS Studio. While specific details remain undisclosed, Harada indicated that the project is intended to surprise fans without straying too far from their expectations.
Following his departure from Bandai Namco earlier this year, Harada established VS Studio, a subsidiary of SNK. The studio has since recruited several key former members of the Tekken development team. In a recent interview with VideoGamesChronicle, Harada discussed the studio's current endeavors.
When questioned about whether VS Studio's inaugural game would be a fighting game or if the company aimed for genre diversity, Harada stated, "What I can say is that there are some members who I have worked with in the past who have joined the company, but this is purely voluntary. 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."
This statement suggests a project that aligns with what fans anticipate from Harada, potentially a fighting game. Harada himself expressed a desire to develop a new fighting game after the formation of VS Studio. SNK's chief publishing officer, Ozan Kocoglu, confirmed that VS Studio is open to developing both original intellectual properties and sequels or expansions of existing ones.
"I think it can be both. I don’t think we should be limited to one road or the other. I think Harada-san can bring a wealth of experience into supporting our existing IPs in growing in a different way, or going to the next stage alongside people like Oda-san. But at the same time, as SNK is growing to become much bigger and a new company, we also need fresh ideas," Kocoglu explained. "We also need to build new IP pillars that, you know, he could be working on, so that they can actually enrich the SNK portfolio beyond what we have. I definitely see Harada-san being able to do both, and it will depend on what he wants to do and how, and especially on which IP he could collaborate on with some of our development leads in the future."
Kocoglu described SNK's current phase as one of "aggressive growth," emphasizing the need for a "fresh perspective." He views VS Studio as a valuable addition to SNK's portfolio and indicated that the company is open to collaborating with other action-game focused developers on a case-by-case basis.
Harada also commented on his ongoing relationship with the Tekken franchise, noting that he has been mentoring former colleagues at Bandai Namco. "I have no knowledge of what Tekken has in store after my departure, so I think it would be great if you could all reach out to Bandai Namco. For now, I can only speculate, like how fans are speculating as well. But one thing I can say is that 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," he said.
Tekken 8 is set to introduce Baki's Yujiro Hanma as a guest character in early 2027.