In a continuation of a rather turbulent year for Tekken 8, 20-year Bandai Namco veteran and director of the 3D fighter itself, Kouhei Ikeda, has announced his departure from the studio. Tekken 8 continues to struggle against the current as multiple seasons of the game have missed the mark among fans, and Bandai Namco continues to turn over the franchise's key pillars of development.
Bandai Namco reveals a new DLC character coming to Tekken 8, and they're the fourth and final entrant in Season 3 of the fighting game.
As announced on Twitter on June 1, 2026, Kohei Ikeda has officially left Bandai Namco, leaving behind a 20-year legacy and a letter expressing his joy as Game Director of Tekken 7 and 8, which he has been spearheading for over a decade now. Kohei Ikeda also talks about how he had always dreamt of working at Bandai Namco and how getting in on Soul Calibur 4 early in his career and continuing through his work on Tekken 8 has been one of his most cherished life experiences. As of now, Ikeda has not yet detailed why he is another longtime developer leaving Tekken 8, but he does offer...
