Katsuhiro Harada spoke to Eurogamer at Evo earlier this month about the future of the Tekken series without him at the helm. The legendary game director had previously stated that the next Tekken game could likely be his last before leaving for other ventures..
When asked by Eurogamer whether the Tekken team would be ready for a future without him, Harada responded (via translation courtesy of game designer Michael Murray): “There are two types of games. A game that solely focuses on its story and setting, and games where the gameplay and the game’s systems are the focus. So when you divide games into those two categories, a series that’s narrative-focused is hard to envision when a major person driving it is gone.
Harada continues: “But for Tekken, [I] feel that it’s the latter. Of course people are in love with the characters and the story, but it’s mainly a 3D fighting game where you launch your opponent, do aerial juggles, etc. [I] feel over the past 30 years the gameplay has been polished and everything is in place, so it’s much easier to continue with someone else.
It is worth noting that Harada (paired with Michael Murray, who has also stated they might only have one more Tekken in him) are more than just developers closed off from the outside world. For years, Harada and Murray have been traveling the world and acting as direct links to the Tekken community. The recently revealed Tekken 8 character – Miary Zo – was designed after the team including Harada travelled to Madagascar personally to research the region and its culture.