After long-time Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada departed Bandai Namco last year—having now started up his own studio under SNK—the game director behind the last two entries is now following in his footsteps.
Kohei "Nakatsu" Ikeda has been with the developer for 20 years, first joining the team behind Soulcalibur 4 before eventually becoming the game director for both Tekken 7 and Tekken 8. Nakatsu announced his departure with a lengthy message over on his X account. "Sharing excitement, celebrating together, and spending unforgettable moments with you all became one of the greatest treasures of my life," he said.
"There were joyful moments, and many difficult ones as well. There were times when we celebrated together, and times when I received passionate criticism and encouragement. Yet every one of those moments helped push both myself and the Tekken Project forward."
English (US)