Juan Valei

Tekken Enjoyer

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

@ThuhRealMak Damn man… this one hurts. Me and him used to some silly ass sets back at Game On in T7. RIP Brother.

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

The end of era. One of my favorite all time FGC moments was getting to meet and play you on Stream at Evo. Your presence will be deeply missed. Thank you for everything! @Harada_TEKKEN

[Katsuhiro Harada @Harada_TEKKEN]

I’d like to share that I’ll be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025.
With the TEKKEN series reaching its 30th anniversary—an important milestone for a project I’ve devoted much of my life to—I felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close.

My roots lie in the days when I supported small local tournaments in Japanese arcades and in small halls and community centers overseas.
I still remember carrying arcade cabinets by myself, encouraging people to “Please try TEKKEN,” and directly facing the players right in front of me.
The conversations and atmosphere we shared in those places became the core of who I am as a developer and game creator.

Even as the times changed, those experiences have remained at the center of my identity.
And even after the tournament scene grew much larger, many of you continued to treat me like an old friend—challenging me at venues, inviting me out for drinks at bars.
Those memories are also deeply precious to me.
In recent years, I experienced the loss of several close friends in my personal life, and in my professional life I witnessed the retirement or passing of many senior colleagues whom I deeply respect.
Those accumulated events made me reflect on the “time I have left as a creator.”
During that period, I sought advice from Ken Kutaragi—whom I respect as though he were another father—and received invaluable encouragement and guidance.
His words quietly supported me in making this decision.

Over the past four to five years, I’ve gradually handed over all of my responsibilities, as well as the stories and worldbuilding I oversaw, to the team, bringing me to the present day.
Looking back, I was fortunate to work on an extraordinary variety of projects—VR titles (such as Summer Lesson), Pokkén Tournament, the SoulCalibur series, and many others, both inside and outside the company.
Each project was full of new discoveries and learning, and every one of them became an irreplaceable experience for me.
To everyone who has supported me, to communities around the world, and to all the colleagues who have walked alongside me for so many years, I offer my deepest gratitude.
I’ll share more about my next steps at a later date.
Thank you very much for everything.

【Postscript】
Although I will be leaving the company at the end of 2025, Bandai Namco has asked me to appear at the TWT Finals at the end of January 2026, so I expect to attend as a guest.

For 30 years I kept saying, “I’ll do it someday,” and never once performed as a DJ at a tournament event.
So instead, I will be releasing—for the first and last time—a 60-minute TEKKEN DJ-style nonstop mix (DJ mix), personally edited by myself, together with this announcement.
Listening to it brings back many memories.
Thank you again, sincerely, for all these years.

‘TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada’s Final Mix’ by Katsuhiro Harada 1 is on #SoundCloud https://t.co/PUFOWt3R6M

December 8, 2025 - The Final Day of TEKKEN’s 30th Anniversary -
Katsuhiro Harada

[日本語版 (Japanese version)]
このたび、2025年末をもちまして、私はバンダイナムコを退職することにいたしました。
長く携わってきた『鉄拳』シリーズが30周年という大きな節目を迎え、ひとつの区切りとして最もふさわしい時期であると考えたためです。

私の原点は、日本のゲームセンターや、海外コミュニティの小さな講堂やコミュニティセンターで、まだ小規模なトーナメントをサポートしていた時代にあります。
アーケード筐体を自ら運び込み、「鉄拳もぜひ遊んでみてほしい」と声をかけながら、目の前の参加者と向き合った日々。
あの場で交わした言葉や空気が、私という開発者の核を形作りました。
時代が変化しても、あの経験が自分の中心にあります。
そしてトーナメントシーンが大きく成長した後も、皆さんは旧知の友人のように私に声をかけ、会場で対戦したり、バーで『一緒に飲もう』と誘ってくれました。
それらもまた、大切な思い出です。

ここ数年間、私生活においては友人達との死別があり、仕事においては、私が尊敬する多くの先輩方の引退や逝去に触れてきました。
そうした出来事の積み重ねが、私に『開発者として残された時間』について考える契機を与えました。
その過程で、私がもう一人の父親のように敬愛する久夛良木健さんにも相談し、貴重な助言と励ましのお言葉をいただきました。
この言葉もまた、今回の決断を静かに後押しするものとなりました。

そして、この4〜5年をかけて私の担ってきたすべての業務やストーリーや世界観、そして責務をチームに段階的に引き継ぎ、今日に至ります。
振り返れば、VR作品（サマーレッスンなど）や『ポッ拳』、ソウルキャリバーシリーズをはじめ、自社他社問わず数多くのプロジェクトに携わる機会に恵まれました。
いずれのプロジェクトも新しい発見と学びに満ち、かけがえのない経験となりました。

これまで支えてくださった皆様、世界中のコミュニティの皆様、そして長年ともに歩んできた仲間たちに深く感謝申し上げます。
次の歩みについては、改めて皆様にお伝えいたします。
これからも、どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

+あとがき
2025年末をもって退職致しますが、2026年1月末のTWT FINALには顔を出してほしいと会社からお願いされていることもあり、FINALにはゲストとして顔を出すと思います。
これまで30年間『いつかやるよ』と言い続けてやってこなかったトーナメントイベントでのDJですが、その代わりとして“最初で最後のDJ風60分ノンストップ鉄拳ミックス（私による初編集DJ mix）”も、今回のポストに合わせて公開します。

‘TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada’s Final Mix’ by Katsuhiro Harada 1 is on #SoundCloud https://t.co/PUFOWt3R6M

様々な思い出が蘇ります。改めて皆さんありがとうございました。

2025年12月8日 - 鉄拳30周年最終日 -
Katsuhiro Harada

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Vote for Gary Buster Holmes!
#LikeaDragon
#Ryugagotoku
#LAD20th
#CharacterPoll
#LikeaDragonStage
https://t.co/309u4FYfKW

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Y’all act like King ‘s GS does shit like this.

[BuffaloFGC @BuffaloFGC]

7 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER FOR SHUT UP AND PLAY 3!

https://t.co/IsHVXmZ8ZI

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

@The_Egman @E_S_Collectible MS-07 Gouf!!!

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played! Thank you!

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

@4o4FinalBoss @hidetone Exactly. I said the same damn thing. SMH…

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Give this man a follow!

[Mirage | Joey Fury @Joey_Fury]

Hello, friends! Those who know that I have a passion for music have joked over the years asking “When the album dropping!?”

Well, it’s not a full album, but the new single is here!

You can follow me @badsleeperr if you’re interested in checking out my new project. Cheers!

[BMS | DombiliMaymun @DombiliMaymun]

Some Korean dude recorded a Disstrack against T8 S2 😭😭

https://t.co/KikbSIv8va

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

@Joey_Fury Season 2 was crazy. Gonna burn waiting on season 3.

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

@ChaCha2daMax @luria_justin Maybe if Tekken was a card game...

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

@ThuhRealMak Well deserved. Your grind is finally paying off!

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

One last push for Season 1! https://t.co/zLolYLvlAt

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Grind time again! https://t.co/27N0tcOSPU

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Grind time! https://t.co/PFU0eDtOhi

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Crunch Time! https://t.co/bcw79kDNki

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Gettin a few in: https://t.co/DB1y3yHd01

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

Here we go again! https://t.co/e7w6BF36dc

[Juan Valei @ValeiLife]

We keep climbing: https://t.co/rPhhRUm9h9