At Evo 2025, Katsuhiro Harada, the driving force behind the Tekken Project, shared some insights on the potential development of Tekken Tag Tournament 3. In the face of fierce competition from titles like Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, 2XKO, and Invincible VS., Harada expressed doubts about launching Tekken Tag as a separate title.
In a conversation with Destructoid, Harada, along with Tekken 8’s Kohei Ikeda and Michael Murray, who assisted as a translator, delved into the challenges of creating another Tekken Tag installment. Harada highlighted the crowded market of tag-team fighters and the extensive time required to develop a new Tekken game. He questioned the efficiency of diverting attention from updating Tekken 8, suggesting that tag elements might be better suited as a mode within future Tekken installments.
Harada noted, “Tag is something I’ve considered recently, and it feels like it could be a mode within Tekken 9 or 8.” He also acknowledged the burden of launching a standalone Tekken Tag Tournament 3, indicating that by the time development would finish, the trend might have faded. He added, “It’s probably a ways off if it were to happen, and so probably not in my working lifetime.”
The Tekken series, known for its spin-offs like the iconic Tekken Tag Tournament, first appeared in 1999 for the PlayStation 2, introducing engaging tag-team dynamics. Its successor, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, launched in 2011, offering an impressive roster and revamped mechanics but sold only 1.5 million units, missing Bandai Namco’s sales expectations.
Despite this, the Tekken mainline series continues to flourish, with a remarkable 57 million units shipped worldwide by 2024, cementing its legacy in the fighting game genre.
