Tekken veteran Katsuhiro Harada to lead new SNK subsidiary
Katsuhiro Harada, the veteran game developer behind Tekken at Bandai Namco, has been appointed as CEO of VS Studio SNK, a newly established subsidiary of SNK. The studio was founded on May 1, 2026, and is based in Tokyo, Japan.
SNK plans to make VS Studio SNK a consolidated subsidiary and will collaborate with Harada’s new venture on game software development to strengthen their combined creative capabilities. The partnership represents a significant move in the gaming industry, bringing together Harada’s extensive experience in game development with SNK’s resources and expertise.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Harada reflected on his career transition, noting that he has consistently considered how he wants to spend his time as a developer and what kind of environment enables developers to perform at their best. His tenure at Bandai Namco spanned from 1994 until his departure to lead the new SNK studio, marking the end of an era for the company that developed the iconic Tekken fighting game series.