zenpoidd

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@holyknee 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐

[KIWOOM DRX｜KNEE @holyknee]

Today, I climbed an incredibly difficult path.

If I had managed to overcome just one final step, it would have been a truly happy moment, but I guess I was lacking in stamina and focus.

This is what gaming in your 40s is like. It requires even more effort and physical endurance than when you’re young.

I want to share this with players who are entering middle age.
this is the kind of preparation you need.

I couldn’t get over that final step today, but I’ll keep pushing forward so that one day I can reach the summit 🫵

To all the fans, thank you as always for your support. And to all the EVO staff, thank you for your hard work 🙏

#KIWOOMDRX
#KRXWIN

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@MarkMan23 Still stylish for a product released eleven years ago 👍

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@LowHigh92 @holyknee @TK_infested @Tekken_mangja @tekkenUlsan @Mulgold_tekken @NARIA_030 @eyemusician_TK @TKJDCR @Jeondding_tk @EDGE_1223 팀코리아!

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@LowHigh92 챔피언!!

[KIWOOM DRX LowHigh @LowHigh92]

There are no unattainable goals. Even if you fail, keep going. And remember the importance of your teammates, friends, and family.

Thanks everyone cheer for me I will never stop. Let’s keep going.

Korea is best Tekken region in the world🇰🇷

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@noname_39 配線が本当に印象的です！

[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

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@MakaiArcade What a wonderful and inspiring idea! It feels so refreshing to see you replying in Korean. I always enjoy your work and posts — they’re truly delightful to follow.

[hawthornice @HawthornIce]

Ummm

[Makai Arcade ✈️ EVO FRANCE @MakaiArcade]

This hobby has been a journey. I have spent many days and dollars hunting down relics of the past to study. Words can describe the gratitude I felt when I received this gift from @AxicGD. The green lever is the true holy grail in our community. Thank you my friend.

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@LowHigh92 Very strong!

[KIWOOM DRX LowHigh @LowHigh92]

For someone it might just be a Challenger tournament but for me it's more than that. The passion of the UFA tournament was the best and I'm honored to win here. Thank you all for your support and see you next year!

If you want to be stronger, just play more time.

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@Colossus_Cruel 지금인가요 제 1080ti를 보내줄 시간이

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@tekkenUlsan 대 울 산 !!

[DNS | ULSAN @tekkenUlsan]

Back to Back #EWC Champion

[KIWOOM DRX Infested @TK_infested]

He practices consistently for more than 10 hours a day without resting every day. He has always been a good player, but he lacked confidence since the beginning of this year. However, he went through a good process of overcoming problems together. Please look forward to him a lot

[zenpoidd @zenpoidd]

@hidetone 😂😂