Harada Confirms New Fighting Game at SNK-Backed VS Studio

"I think I'll be more creative and development-oriented than I have been for the past 10 years or so, returning to my roots in my involvement." That's Katsuhiro Harada speaking to Den-fami Nico Gamer about his plans at VS Studio, the new development outfit he founded on May 1 under the SNK umbrella. And tucked inside that same interview is the confirmation fighting game fans have been waiting for: Harada wants to make a new fighting game.

This isn't vague corporate ambition. The man who shaped Tekken for over two decades, who declared himself "completely dead" as a Tekken creator on December 31, is now sitting inside SNK's building in Shinagawa, Tokyo, recruiting staff for a studio whose very name screams competitive games. VS Studio is a consolidated subsidiary of SNK Corporation, the company behind King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, and Metal Slug. Harada landing here, of all places, is a statement.

In his interview with Den-fami Nico Gamer, Harada clarified that VS Studio is "completely independent" in its creative direction, even though it operates under SNK's corporate structure. "It's not a 100% subsidiary, but rather it maintains its independence while being under the umbrella of SNK," he said. He described the relationship as cooperative rather than hierarchical, with the studio physically sharing a building with SNK but making its own calls.

Rivals Turned Partners

SNK director Yasuyuki Oda didn't hide how significant this feels from their side. "I am extremely proud to welcome Mr. Katsuhiro Harada, who has been a long-time friend and a worthy rival to us, into our group," Oda said in the official press release. "We've long discussed the hypothetical scenario of working together, and now that dream has become a reality. To be honest, nothing has been decided yet, but I have no doubt that things will become even more exciting than ever before."

I love the honesty in that quote. "Nothing has been decided yet" is refreshingly blunt for an announcement like this, and it tracks with the timeline. VS Studio was only established twelve days ago. They're actively recruiting. Whatever Harada builds here, we're years away from playing it.

But the fact that he's confirmed a fighting game is the goal changes the calculus for the entire genre. Harada isn't some executive who oversaw Tekken from a boardroom. He joined the original Tekken team in 1994 and spent 31 years at Bandai Namco. His departure was preceded by public disagreements with the company over the series' management, and when he left, he didn't soften it. "Harada_TEKKEN is completely dead," he wrote. Now he's free to build something from scratch, with SNK's money and infrastructure behind him, and no legacy franchise dictating what he can or can't do.

There is, of course, the elephant in the room. SNK is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Electronic Gaming Development Company, funded through state investment. As NPR has reported, that ownership has drawn scrutiny given Saudi Arabia's human rights record. It's the same tension that hangs over every Saudi-backed gaming venture, and VS Studio doesn't escape it just because Harada is at the helm.

What I can say is that the fighting game scene hasn't had a new major studio enter the conversation in a long time. Between Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Guilty Gear, the genre has been dominated by legacy franchises at legacy publishers. A new fighting game from Harada that isn't Tekken, built at a studio designed around his vision of how developers should work, is the most interesting thing to happen in the space in years. VS Studio is currently hiring across development roles from its Tokyo headquarters.