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Former Bandai Namco Producer and Tekken 8 Director Kohei Ikeda just revealed that he’s going to join VS Studio, which is supported by SNK, the studio behind King of Fighters and Fatal Fury. The move reunites him with fellow Tekken alum Katsuhiro Harada, who created the studio after leaving Bandai Namco in December 2025 after more than 31 years of working there.
【A Quick Update】
I’ve joined VS STUDIO as the next step in my journey.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.
I’m… pic.twitter.com/f2lwFi0dkL
— Kohei Ikeda（Nakatsu） (@nkt_dreamer) August 18, 2026
Earlier this year, Yuichi Yanemori May, took on the role of chief creative officer alongside Harada. Yanemori is another Tekken OG, who’s worked as a designer and director on the iconic fighting game franchise since Tekken Tag Tournament in 1999.
The trio’s reunion in VS Studio was revealed by Ikeda in a tweet where they’re posing together, with the caption: ‘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.’ Ikeda also added that he’s excited to see what they can create together.
VS Studio SNK was officially revealed along with a YouTube video in May, where Harada stated that he wanted a studio where he can solely focus on making games with trusted colleagues. So far, this is in line with the two notable Tekken alumni who joined the team.
It hasn’t been confirmed what the new studio is working on, but players are excited for what’s to come based on the trio’s reunion alone. Furthermore, Harada’s statement that the funding from SNK would help them focus on creativity and that they aim to deliver the best gaming experiences to users worldwide is enough to fuel the hype train.
