Tekken’s Harada opposes normalizing toxic behavior in online gaming – “What’s average is not for you to decide” 

Tekken 8 producer Katsuhiro Harada frequently engages with fans on X, offering interesting behind-the-scenes insights from his 30 plus years working on the fighting game series. Recently he took a strong stance against harassment in online games, explaining that such toxic behavior shouldn’t be seen as normal nor something players should get used to. 

The discussion kicked off when a post by Tekken player maydaysix caught Harada’s attention. In the post, the player screenshotted offensive messages she received after winning a match as Kazuya, which Harada then shared. Calling out the rude behavior, he said that the offending player would be banned if it could be proved that they sent the message. 

In the comments, users chimed in saying that unfortunately this kind of harassment is extremely common in online games- with some mentioning that they had heard far worse when playing Call of Duty. However, Harada’s subsequent comments suggest that he has zero tolerance for such harassment. 

Abusive messages and harassment in online multiplayer games is so pervasive that it has become the norm for many players. A report by the Anti-Defamation League indicated that in the US alone, 76% of adults and 3 in 4 teenagers experienced harassment when playing online games in 2023. Players of online games usually go in with the expectation that they are going to encounter a certain level of harassment at some point, with some even thinking that it is each user’s responsibility to develop a “thick skin” before gaming online. However, Harada seems to be strongly against normalizing such toxic behavior with his belief that abusive comments should not be seen as “average” for online gaming. 

Tekken 8 does allow players to block or report other users, which can be done by viewing your opponent’s profile after a match and selecting the appropriate option. The game’s director Kohei Ikeda clarified how blocking works back in February, explaining that blocking a player prevents you from being matched with them again. Tekken 8 has also developed ways to deal with other unsportsmanlike behaviors online, such as by matching pluggers to each other.