SNK has announced it is investing in a new studio founded by Katsuhiro Harada, the veteran Bandai Namco producer and long-term perma-sunglasses-wearing face of the Tekken franchise. VS Studio and SNK will “collaborate on game software development to further strengthen their development capabilities”, and SNK “will support the launch of the new studio and plans to make it a consolidated subsidiary,” the company said in a press release.
In a refreshing moment of corporate candour, SNK’s Yasuyuki Oda, producer of King of Fighters XV and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, said of the partnership that “to be honest, nothing has been decided yet” but that had “no doubt that things will become even more exciting than ever before,” describing Harada as “a long-time friend and a worthy rival to us.”
“Mr Katsuhiro Harada has been a long-time friend and worthy rival to us”
Harada previously spent his entire career at Bandai Namco and became synonymous with the Tekken franchise. He served as Director and Executive Producer on multiple Tekken titles from 1997 onwards, and maintained a combative fan-facing presence at events and on social media. He also contributed to other Bandai Namco titles like Coden Vein and Tales of Arise and was ultimately promoted to general manager, but announced last year that he would be leaving the firm at the end of 2025.
Harada said in a statement that VS Studio’s philosophy is “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection,” and the studio would “combine technology, sensibility, and world-class expertise to pursue the ultimate.”
He said said that the “VS” in the studio holds various meanings, including “our roots in ‘Video game Soft (VS Development Division)’; the spirit of ‘Versus’; challenging tradition, and many other meanings symbolizing innovation and challenge, such as ‘Visionary Standard’; ‘Volition Shift,’ and ‘Vanguard Spirit.'”
“Having been involved in game development for many years,” said Harada. “I’ve constantly considered how I want to spend my time as a developer and what kind of environment allows developers to perform at their best. VS Studio is one answer to that question. By bringing together technology and knowledge, and working with passionate colleagues, we aim to deliver the best gaming experiences to users worldwide. VS Studio aspires to be a studio that continues to take on such challenges, and we are looking for new team members who share our vision.”
SNK’s most recent release was Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, produced by internal fighting game studio KOF studio. The firm has been majority owned by the non-profit Mohammed bin Salman Foundation since 2022; it has previously stated that this “doesn’t affect us in any way” but the Saudi ownership was held responsible for the inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo and DJ Salvatore Ganacci as characters in Fatal Fury.
