Tekken 8 game director Kohei Ikeda leaves Bandai Namco after 20 years

Tekken 8 game director Kohei Ikeda has left Bandai Namco, announcing his departure on Twitter on June 1. He's the second major name to exit the studio in quick succession — series producer and figurehead Katsuhiro Harada left late last year and has since set up a new studio, VS Studio, under SNK.

Ikeda spent 20 years at Bandai Namco, starting out on Soulcalibur IV before moving to the Tekken series and eventually directing both Tekken 7 and Tekken 8. In his farewell statement he thanked his colleagues and the wider fighting game community, saying he'll "continue taking on new challenges as a game developer" — though he hasn't named a new studio or project yet.

Harada famously bowed out with an hour-long DJ mix; Ikeda skipped that particular tradition, which is fair enough given he never expressed any desire to DJ at a Tekken tournament. When Harada left, Bandai Namco put out a statement assuring players the studio remains "fully committed to future development and content plans for Tekken 8" and that the series has a future.

Two high-profile exits in a short window inevitably raises questions about what the next Tekken entry looks like and who's shaping it. Ikeda said he's passing the baton — along with the value of staying close to fans and building the game alongside the community — to the team that remains.