Harada Stays: Tekken Director Not Seeking New Job

Tekken's Harada Seeking Jobs on LinkedIn

Rumors of Exit from Bandai

Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada has sparked rumors of leaving Bandai Namco after 30 years by updating his LinkedIn profile to indicate he is #OpenToWork. The update was first noticed by the Japanese video game news account Genki_JPN on X (formerly Twitter), who shared a screenshot of Harada's LinkedIn post. In the post, Harada expressed interest in new opportunities and listed potential roles such as Executive Producer, Game Director, Business Development, Vice President, or Marketing positions, all based in Tokyo. This announcement has led to concerns among fans about Harada's future with Bandai Namco and the direction of the Tekken series, prompting numerous replies seeking confirmation from the director himself.

Harada Responds: No Cause for Concern

Katsuhiro Harada, known for his active presence on social media, quickly addressed the speculation surrounding his LinkedIn update. He clarified that he is not planning to leave Bandai Namco. Instead, Harada explained that he wants to expand his professional network and meet more people in the industry. In response to a fan's inquiry on X, he stated, "I meet a lot of people on a regular basis (but I don't actually have that many friends in my private world LOL), I just want to meet more people and expand my horizons in the future." He emphasized that enabling the #OpenToWork option on LinkedIn is simply a way to facilitate more professional conversations.

With this reassurance, Tekken fans can look forward to the continued growth of the series. Recent collaborations, such as the integration of Final Fantasy 16's protagonist Clive Rosfield into Tekken 8, along with other characters like Jill, Joshua, and even Nektar the Moogle through skins and accessories, highlight the potential for further exciting developments. Harada's expanded network is likely to bring fresh ideas and collaborations to the beloved franchise.