Kohei Ikeda, the game director behind the recently released Tekken 8, has departed Bandai Namco to join Katsuhiro Harada at the newly formed SNK developer, Vs Studio. Ikeda announced his move via X (formerly Twitter), confirming his departure from the Tekken 8 team and his subsequent recruitment by Harada.
He will be working alongside Yuichi Yonemori, another prominent Tekken series veteran who also left Bandai Namco earlier this year. The reunion brings together three key figures from the Tekken franchise under a new banner. Ikeda expressed enthusiasm for the move, stating, "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." He added, "I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can create together!"
This development follows a series of high-profile departures from the Tekken 8 project. Harada himself left Bandai Namco in December, with Yonemori exiting in May. Harada had previously hinted at his future plans, suggesting he was not concerned about the series' continuity in his absence.
Vs Studio was announced in May and is financially backed by SNK, the company known for its King of Fighters and Metal Slug franchises. According to Harada, the studio's aim is to "combine technology, sensibility, and world-class expertise." While the specific project for Vs Studio remains unconfirmed, the collective expertise of Ikeda, Harada, and Yonemori naturally leads to speculation about a potential new one-on-one fighting game.