SNK establishes VS Studio led by Katsuhiro Harada

SNK has announced the establishment of VS Studio, a new game development studio and subsidiary founded by Katsuhiro Harada of Tekken fame.

Harada left Bandai Namco at the end of 2025 after more than 31 years at the company. He was an executive game director, chief game producer, marketing director, and general manager, best known for his contributions to the Tekken series, which he worked on since 1994.

Headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, VS Studio will collaborate with SNK on game software development to further strengthen their development capabilities.

“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,” said SNK’s Yasuyuki Oda in a 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. We look forward to your continued support for SNK and VS Studio.

Here is a comment from Harada on the studio’s establishment:

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new game development studio, VS Studio. VS Studio’s philosophy is “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection.”

We will combine technology, sensibility, and world-class expertise to pursue the ultimate.

From a free, open, and spacious environment, we will generate new ideas and create memorable games.

We established this studio to bring this vision to life.

The “VS” in VS Studio holds various meanings. It represents our roots in “Video game Soft (VS Development Division),” the spirit of “Versus” challenging tradition, and many other meanings symbolizing innovation and challenge, such as “Visionary Standard,” “Volition Shift,” and “Vanguard Spirit.”

Having been involved in game development for many years, I’ve constantly considered how I want to spend my time as a developer and what kind of environment allows developers to perform at their best. VS Studio is one answer to that question.

By bringing together technology and knowledge, and working with passionate colleagues, we aim to deliver the best gaming experiences to users worldwide. VS Studio aspires to be a studio that continues to take on such challenges, and we are looking for new team members who share our vision.

Please look forward to the future of VS Studio.

Watch the announcement video below. Visit the official website here.

A Message from Katsuhiro Harada

English

Japanese