Tekken 8 game director bids goodbye to Bandai Namco following series boss Katsuhiro Harada's exit last year, but doesn't do an hour-long DJ mix

Kohei Ikeda is off to take on new challenges

Tekken 8 game director Kohei Ikeda has left Bandai Namco, kicking his way through an exit door that had long-time series producer and general advocate for the virtual graps Katsuhiro Harada pass through it late last year. Harada's since set up a new studio, dubbed VS Studio, under Fatal Fury publishers SNK. All Ikeda's said about his future plans so far is that he'll "continue taking on new challenges as a game developer".

"As I reflect on the past 20 years at the company, I remember first stepping into game development through Soulcalibur IV," Ikeda wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. "Later, I was given the opportunity to work on the Tekken series - a franchise that had a tremendous impact on my life and one that I had always hoped to someday give back to. Being surrounded by passionate and incredibly talented mentors and colleagues, and dedicating ourselves wholeheartedly to game development together, remains one of the most cherished experiences of my life.

"In particular, being entrusted with the role of game director for Tekken 7 and Tekken 8 gave me the opportunity to connect with fans and members of the fighting game community (FGC) from all around the world. Sharing excitement, celebrating together, and spending unforgettable moments with all of you became one of the greatest treasures of my life.

"While my role leading the team as game director is coming to a close, the values that both I personally and the Tekken Project have always cherished staying close to the fans and the community and building the game together with everyone will never change," he added. "I have entrusted those values, and that baton, to the incredible team that will continue shaping the future of Tekken. As I look forward to the future of Tekken and the FGC, I will also continue taking on new challenges as a game developer."

Sadly, unlike Harada, Ikeda hasn't put together a DJ mix to commemorate his departure. Then again, he didn't indicate he'd like to DJ at a Tekken tournament like Harada did, so the lack of funky beats is understandable. Back when Harada left, Bandai Namco have put out a statement assuring players "that we are fully committed to future development and content plans for Tekken 8", as well as indicating the series would still have a future.

Regardless, having a number of high-profile departures in a relatively short span is likely to leave Tekken's next entry with questions to answer in terms of what that future'll look like and how it might differ from what's come before.

"When the final fist lands, I have found myself less excited by Tekken 8 than I expected. But much of that dispassion comes solely from not having any characters that I truly love and have immediate familiarity with," Brendy (RPS in peace) wrote in his Tekken 8 review. I feel like an outlier here. All the classic contenders are present, after all, your Kings, your Pauls, your Kazuyas, your... Zafinas?

"Whatever. My point is: YOUR favourites are probably still here. And if they are, you'll be content to kick and/or punch. There isn't anything revolutionary happening aside from the Heat meter and all that it entails. But a lot of the quality of life improvements and subtle design tweaks stack up."

Whether Tekken 9's new bosses do take it in more revolutionary directions is something we'll have to see.