Katsuhiro Harada, director best known for his long-running work on Bandai Namco’s Tekken franchise, is launching a new game development studio following his departure from Bandai Namco and the Tekken team. Reports from multiple outlets say Harada left Bandai Namco about six months before the studio announcement. The new venture is supported by SNK, a longtime rival in the fighting game scene. Polygon and Eurogamer describe Harada joining forces with SNK to found the studio, while Engadget notes that he is now leading his own team. Variety, citing SNK’s statement, says the studio—named VS Studio SNK—was established on May 1, 2026, and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Across the coverage, the common points are that Harada has returned to development under his own leadership and that SNK backs the effort as part of the new studio’s launch. The reports do not provide further details in the excerpts about specific projects, staffing beyond Harada, or timelines beyond the studio’s establishment date.