In a real monkey’s paw moment for fighting game fans, SNK has announced that former Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada has formed a new studio under its leadership. Dubbed the “VS Studio,” it will be based out of Shinigawa, Tokyo and Harada will act as CEO. According to Harada, the VS in the name represents various things like “Video game Soft (VS Development Division)” and “the spirit of ‘Versus’ challenging tradition.”
In a press release, SNK’s Yasuyuki Oda said, “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. We’ve long discussed the hypothetical scenario of working together, and now that dream has become a reality.” While the studio has no announcements to make regarding its first game, Oda is excited for what is to come under this new partnership.
Harada added, “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.” Harada has previously indicated he doesn’t want to stray too far from his roots, so it’s likely his next game will be a fighter of some sort.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
