Tekken 8 director leaves Bandai Namco after 20 years

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Kohei Ikeda, the director of Tekken 8, has left Bandai Namco after 20 years with the company. This is the latest in a series of significant changes for the popular Tekken fighting game series.

Kohei Ikeda, the Game Director for both Tekken 7 and Tekken 8, announced on June 1st that he is leaving Bandai Namco. In a post on X, he shared his thoughts on his 20-year career and expressed gratitude to fans, coworkers, and the fighting game community for their support.

Ikeda announced he has left Bandai Namco Entertainment after a long career there. He started with the game Soulcalibur IV and eventually worked on one of the most famous fighting game franchises in the industry.

Ikeda has said that landing a job at Namco felt like a dream fulfilled, as he spent his childhood loving arcade fighting games. He believes the friendships he made through the fighting game community were crucial to his career and led to his opportunity in game development.

Tekken 8 director leaves Bandai Namco

Honestly, getting to direct both Tekken 7 and 8 has been a huge deal for me – like, one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It’s been amazing to connect with players all over the world and really feel like I’m making something they’ll enjoy.

Honestly, getting to share all those amazing moments with you all, celebrating wins together, and just making unforgettable memories… it’s become one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. It really means the world.

Ikeda noted the series had received both positive and negative feedback over the years, and he said that all of it – the praise and the criticism – helped inspire him and the team as they worked on it.

He shared that both positive feedback, like hearing ‘Thank you for working so hard!’, and constructive criticism, such as being told ‘You need to balance the game better!’, were encouraging and kept him motivated. He expressed sincere gratitude for all of it.

I’m announcing that after 20 wonderful years, I’ve moved on from Bandai Namco Studios. Thank you so much for all of your support! #TEKKEN #TEKKEN8

— Kohei Ikeda（Nakatsu） (@nkt_dreamer) June 1, 2026

Even though he’s leaving Bandai Namco, Ikeda assured Tekken fans the game is still in capable hands. He explained that he’s shared his core beliefs for the series – like prioritizing the community and developing the game with player input – to ensure its continued success.

Ikeda didn’t say what his next project will be, but he assured fans he’ll keep working in the game industry and is looking forward to new opportunities.

Ikeda concluded his message with a final shout-out to the Tekken series, which he’d been a part of for many years: “GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!!!” He then expressed his sincere thanks to everyone who supported him, and shared his gratitude for the Tekken fans and the entire fighting game community worldwide.

This news follows the announcement, about six months ago, that Katsuhiro Harada, a veteran producer of the Tekken series, was also leaving Bandai Namco after working there for over thirty years.

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2026-06-01 12:49