SNK Katsuhiro Harada new studio: Saudi-backed VS Studio signals a structural talent play against legacy publishers
Summary
Katsuhiro Harada left Bandai Namco in December 2025 after 30 years and launched VS Studio with SNK on May 1, 2026
SNK is funding the launch and plans to make VS Studio a consolidated subsidiary - full balance sheet integration, not a loose partnership
SNK's majority owner since 2022 is the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, giving it a capital structure no legacy Japanese publisher can match
"Nothing has been decided yet, but I have no doubt that things will become even more exciting than ever before"
01
VS Studio launches as a subsidiary with no committed project slate
VS Studio established May 1, 2026, headquartered in Tokyo
SNK plans to make it a "consolidated subsidiary" - full financial integration
Collaboration scope: joint game software development to "strengthen their combined creative capabilities"
No titles or timelines disclosed; the deal is structured around Harada's brand first
02
Harada's exit strips Bandai Namco of a franchise-defining figurehead
Harada joined Bandai Namco in 1997 and rose to general manager
He directed and executive-produced multiple Tekken titles across nearly three decades
His combative fan-facing presence made him inseparable from the Tekken brand
SNK's fighting game portfolio - King of Fighters, Fatal Fury - maps directly onto his expertise
"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"
03
Saudi ownership removes the financial constraints that limit legacy publisher talent deals
The Mohammed bin Salman Foundation has majority-owned SNK since 2022
No publicly listed Japanese peer has an equivalent capital structure
Funding a subsidiary for a developer with no committed project would strain traditional publisher P&L governance
Saudi ownership already shaped product decisions: Cristiano Ronaldo and DJ Salvatore Ganacci added as Fatal Fury characters
SNK can now offer funding certainty, creative autonomy, and subsidiary leadership as a package
04
The deal creates a replicable template for poaching veteran leadership
Model: identify a franchise-defining veteran constrained by hierarchy, offer a funded studio with subsidiary upside
Bandai Namco loses its living Tekken ambassador with no named successor in that role
Oda framed Harada as "a long-time friend and a worthy rival" - peer-to-peer positioning lowers reputational cost for similar moves
Sovereign-adjacent capital funding aggressive talent acquisition is now visible inside Japan's domestic publisher ecosystem
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JapanMiddle East & North Africa
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