Former Tekken 8 Director Kohei Ikeda Joins Harada and Shimbori at VS Studio SNK

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By Gaming News
19 August 2026 no comments

Former Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda reunites with Katsuhiro Harada and Yohei Shimbori at the SNK-backed VS Studio to work on a new project.

Kohei Ikeda Joins VS Studio SNK  
Key Takeaways
  • Former Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda has joined VS Studio, an independent studio founded by Katsuhiro Harada and backed by SNK.
  • Ikeda reunites with industry veterans Katsuhiro Harada and Yohei Shimbori, bringing together over 70 years of fighting game development experience.
  • VS Studio has not yet revealed its upcoming project, though the team has begun work on new developments.
 

A Reunion of Fighting Game Legends

VS Studio SNK is slowly becoming a Tekken powerhouse, with the latest addition being Kohei Ikeda, the former game director of Tekken 8.

The independent studio was founded by Katsuhiro Harada in May 2026 following his departure from Bandai Namco in December 2025. It is backed by SNK, the developer behind the Fatal Fury series, giving Harada a new home to work on projects outside of his former company.

Harada isn’t the only former Bandai Namco figure to make the move. Ikeda left Bandai Namco in June after most recently serving as game director on Tekken 8. At the time, he did not reveal why he was leaving the company or what he planned to do next. But now, the direction is clear.

Ikeda has announced that he has joined VS Studio, reuniting with Harada and another familiar face from the fighting game world, Yohei Shimbori. In his announcement, Ikeda expressed his excitement about working alongside his former bosses again and described the reunion as a nostalgic experience.

He also shared a photo of the three together, giving fans a pretty good idea of just how much fighting game experience is now gathered at the studio.

   

Ikeda, known to fans as Nakatsu, worked his way through the Tekken series and eventually became its game director. Harada, spent decades as one of the key figures behind Tekken before leaving Bandai Namco and establishing VS Studio.

Then you have Shimbori who has worked in the Tekken franchise too since the late 1990s including a stint as chief creative officer. Put the three together and you’re looking at more than 70 years of combined experience in fighting games.

VS Studio SNK has not revealed nor even hinted at what they are currently working on. But with this caliber of talent, it could only be great.

 

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Sending some gaming news your way from a surfing paradise island. Loves creating content, and researching informative facts and useless trivia. A novice in the gaming industry but a veteran in communications and publication.

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