Tekken director Kohei Ikeda has left Bandai Namco after more than 20 years.
In a statement posted to X/Twitter earlier today (June 1), Ikeda talked about his excitement at securing a position at the developer/publisher after spending “countless days in arcades,” calling his job “a dream come true.”
“As I reflect on the past 20 years at the company, I remember first stepping into game development through Soulcalibur 4. Later, I was given the opportunity to work on the Tekken series – a franchise that had a tremendous impact on my life and one that I had always hoped to someday give back to.”
He talked of being “entrusted with the role of game director for Tekken 7 and Tekken 8” and how it gave him the chance to meet fans of the fighting game community and share “excitement,” where “spending unforgettable moments with all of you became one of the greatest treasures of my life”.
Ikeda did not reveal his next steps, but said he will “continue taking on new challenges as a game developer.”
“To everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” his statement concluded.
Ikeda’s departure follows another high-profile exit: Tekken director and executive producer, Katsuhiro Harada, who left the firm at the end of 2025.
He’s since founded VS Studio with investment from SNK, which will “collaborate on game software development to further strengthen their development capabilities.”
