Call it a takeover of sorts, but it’s more or less the logical progression of things. Tekken producer and head honcho Katsuhiro “Harada-san” Harada is now the leader and supervisor of the Bandai Namco Fighting Game eSports Strategy Team as of now, according to Bandai Namco themselves.

The official post stated that the company plans to expand the horizons of both tournament and community scenes of these 3 franchises. They have already planned many official tournaments for 2019 while also attempting to support tournaments held by the community.

Also, if you have any inquiries or need help from Bandai Namco for your Soulcalibur 6/Tekken 7/DBFZ tourney in Southeast Asia, go contact the regional representatives instead of tweeting at Harada. You can start here.

I’d say this news help put the community at ease since he’s more or less a known fighting game figurehead. Here’s the official message:

To everyone in the “DRAGON BALL FighterZ”, “TEKKEN”, and “SoulCalibur” community.

I wanted to notify everyone that I have become the leader and supervisor of the BANDAI NAMCO Fighting Game eSports Strategy team today (Of course, I’ll continue producing the game as well).
And first I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who held and/or participated in various tournaments this year.

We at BANDAI NAMCO are committed to expand the horizons of both tournament and community scenes of these 3 franchises.
We are already planning to have as many official tournaments as possible for next year—while continue supporting tournaments held by the community.

Furthermore, we are dedicated to figure out ways where we can assist tournaments and community activities in the future.

If you have any questions or inquiries about holding or participating in a tournament in your area, please contact the local BANDAI NAMCO office in your respective region.
(※The conditions and languages might differ between areas, so contacting your local BANDAI NAMCO offices is highly recommended.)

We will continue to bring you the ultimate experience through BANDAI NAMCO Fighting Games next year.

Thank you.