SNK Hires Katsuhiro Harada: Former Tekken Head Changes Sides, Establishes New Studio

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SNK is embarking on a significant resurgence in the video game industry, signaling a departure from its historically niche market image. This renewed ambition is propelled by the company’s acquisition by Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Under this new impetus, the Japanese publisher is scaling up both creatively and strategically, with recent announcements serving as concrete proof. Following the return of the Neo Geo AES and various communications around the Fatal Fury license, SNK appears eager to reintroduce its classic franchises while significantly modernizing its brand and production capabilities. A key development in this strategy is the establishment of VS Studio, a new game development studio founded by Katsuhiro Harada, who has transitioned from Bandai Namco. VS Studio is integrated as a subsidiary of SNK, underscoring the group’s aim to enhance its development capacity and foster internal collaboration. The studio’s name, VS Studio, carries multiple meanings: it represents the roots of “Video game Soft” (VS Development Division), embodies the spirit of “Versus,” and symbolizes innovation and challenge.

Katsuhiro Harada has detailed his plans for VS Studio, emphasizing a philosophy centered on creative freedom, the pursuit of maximum quality, and a more open development approach. The studio’s mission statement, “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection,” highlights its dedication to integrating technology, emotion, and top-tier skills to chase greatness. Harada elaborated that “VS” signifies their background in video game software, a drive to push boundaries, and further symbols of innovation and challenge. The team at VS Studio aims to generate fresh ideas and unforgettable games within an open and accommodating environment. Harada expressed excitement about working alongside passionate colleagues and delivering incredible gaming experiences worldwide through VS Studio. Officially based in Tokyo and established on May 1, 2026, VS Studio is presented as a relatively independent creative space, directly supported by SNK. This structure is intended to strengthen the group’s development capabilities and foster collaboration around new video game productions. From SNK’s side, producer Yasuyuki Oda welcomed Katsuhiro Harada and emphasized the symbolic importance of this collaboration. Oda mentioned a longstanding relationship between the two developers and hinted that this new structure could pave the way for even more ambitious projects, although no concrete productions have been announced yet.

SNK Strengthens Position with VS Studio’s Ambitious Productions and Global Industry Focus

The press release clearly conveys that this announcement is part of a broader strategy where SNK is accelerating its investments and seeking to reposition its historical licenses. SNK is equipping itself with new structures capable of carrying out more ambitious productions and demonstrating a clear intention to bring its cult classic licenses to the forefront of the global industry. VS Studio’s official website is available at https://www.vsstudio.com/index.html.

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