Longtime Tekken leader Kohei Ikeda, who most recently directed Tekken 8, has announced he is departing from Bandai Namco after 20 years at the company. This news follows the departure of veteran Tekken director and producer Katsuhiro Harada in December, marking a significant shift in Tekken’s leadership.
As for why, Ikeda’s announcement doesn’t delve into that, instead focusing on the history that comes with 20 years at Bandai Namco, and offering a word of support to those he is passing the Tekken baton to.
“I am deeply proud that I had the opportunity to create games alongside such incredible people who poured their hearts into this work,” Ikeda writes. “While my role leading the team as Game Director is coming to a close, the values that both I personally and the Tekken Project have always cherished – staying close to the fans and the community and building the game together with everyone – will never change. I have entrusted those values, and that baton, to the incredible team that will continue shaping the future of Tekken. As I look forward to the future of Tekken and the FGC, I will also continue taking on new challenges as a game developer.”
You can read Ikeda’s full departure message in the image below:
Click image to enlarge
Elsewhere in the world of Tekken, Bandai Namco recently revealed that Kunimitsu joins Tekken 8 this month. For more, read Game Informer’s Tekken 8 review.
How do you feel about these Tekken departures? Let us know in the comments below!
