It also probably doesn’t help that Michael Murray, the beloved Tekken producer and localization lead, has yet to make an official statement about Ikeda’s departure. Given his well-publicized friendship with both Ikeda and Harada, some are already wondering if he might be planning to follow in their footsteps.
Ikeda also didn’t state in his announcement whether he’s moving over to a new studio, as he merely alluded to “taking on new challenges as a game developer.” Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear that Ikeda is joining his ex-colleague Harada at SNK’s newly formed VS Studio in the next few weeks.