Tekken 8
Cover art featuring Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama
Developer(s)Bandai Namco Studios
Arika
Publisher(s)Bandai Namco Entertainment
Producer(s)
SeriesTekken
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
ReleaseJanuary 26, 2024
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Tekken 8 (鉄拳8) is an upcoming fighting game co-developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.[1] The eighth main and tenth overall installment in the Tekken series, the game is set to be released on January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.

Gameplay

According to director Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken 8 gameplay will focus on "aggressiveness" and will have a new "Heat" gauge system, in addition to returning gameplay features from Tekken 7, such as Rage system-based attacks, with the Rage Drive having been separated and reworked as a Heat system-based move known as Heat Smash, leaving the Rage State that can only have an access to use Rage Art once more like prior to the Fated Retribution version of Tekken 7. The gameplay will reward aggressiveness rather than defensive or patient play. Similar to Soul Charge state from Soulcalibur VI, the Heat State grants not only chip damage and additional move sets, but also changes the properties of some characters’ move sets, such as a heavy guard break. Fighters can also dash cancel their designate moves into the Heat State, similar to MAX Mode from The King of Fighters series. The Heat State’s timer can be stopped if fighters’ move sets are being used.[1]

There will also be a focus on stage destruction, character reactions to these, and making the gameplay enjoyable to watch as well as play, since Tekken is now considered a high-level e-sports game. This new system was based on reception to the predecessor.[2] Tekken 7’s “Screw” damage property was originally going to return in this game, but it is ultimately replaced with a newer juggle combo extender system that puts opponent into a ground-bound-like state upon falling backflip to the ground quickly - similar to Tekken 6 - whether the combo extender be a launcher or a knockback. When guarding against a normal state’s heavy attack, or Heat State characters, fighters will receive a chip damage that causes their health bar to become regenerable. However, unlike the Tag mode-only health bar regeneration system from Tekken Tag Tournament games, fighters’ recoverable health can only be recovered by attacking the opponent.[1]

The online mode for this game is now an avatar-based battle hub lobby known as "Arcade Quest", which covers arcade environments that first appeared in Guilty Gear Xrd, regular online and tournament matches, customizing Avatar's appearances, similar online features that first appeared in Dead or Alive 4, and will use Fight Money system which first appeared in Street Fighter V.[3]

Rather than recycling content, all character models are completely new and are meant to be an improvement over previous games. In addition, voice lines will be based solely on the current voice actors, rather than using any from the previous games. In contrast to Tekken 7, which is powered by Unreal Engine 4, Tekken 8 will be powered by the Unreal Engine 5, making it the very first major fighting game to utilize this latest game engine.

Bandai Namco announced its plan to conduct a closed network test in July 2023. The test aims to assess various game aspects, including balance, matchmaking, and overall stability before its official release. This closed network test will be available to a limited number of players on a first-come, first-served basis.[4]

Characters

There are a total of 32 (plus 1 palette swap and 1 Heat transformation exclusive form) confirmed playable characters announced for the base roster of the game. Currently, the first season of DLC pass will have four characters.[3]

New characters

  • Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo: A fearless happy go-lucky Peruvian mixed martial artist and daughter of a coffee company owner.
  • Jack-8: The latest and upgraded Jack model, with a new voice and look.
  • Reina: A young punk looking Japanese girl in a purple clad who studies at a same school as Xiaoyu, Jin, Miharu Hirano, and even undercover kunoichi second Kunimitsu, with mysterious connections to the Mishima clan, and possibly the Hachijo clan. In additions to having Mishima Style Karate to further her mysterious connections to the surviving clansmen who are not aware of her existence, she also fights with Taidō.
  • Victor Chevalier: A legendary elderly war veteran and United Nation's super spy from a royal French knight lineage, and the founding grandmaster of Raven Unit with the codename of "Phantom Raven" but he chooses not use it. A close quarter battler who wields both knife and karambit for his default combat, and a technology which grants him a teleportation ability, and enhances his weaponized pistol, grenades and sheated katana.

Returning characters

^a Heat State transformation
^b Costume Swap for Jack-8

Premise

Set six months after the events of Tekken 7, the fight is reminiscent of the final battle between Kazuya and his father Heihachi, but Harada aims to surprise the audience. Jin wants to kill Kazuya to end the chaos from their lineage as his father keeps causing chaos in the world.[2][5]

Development

A teaser for a new mainline entry in the series was shown during Tekken 7's tournament at EVO 2022, before being formally announced on September 13, 2022, during Sony's State of Play presentation.[5] It is set for release on the PlayStation 5, Windows through Steam, and Xbox Series X/S platforms. As a continuation from the seventh mainline game, it will focus on a conclusion of Kazuya and Jin's enmity.[6] It was announced after Tekken World Cup 2022 finals that Arika will be handling the game’s continued development aside rollback netcode, including for the recent patch of Tekken 7.[1]

Music

The game's theme song "Mastery" will be performed by The Last Rockstars.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nelva, Giuseppe (February 5, 2023). "Tekken 8 Reveals Nina Williams, Gameplay, In-Depth Mechanics Explanation, & On-Site Closed Alpha". Tech Raptor. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Borger, Will (December 9, 2022). "Tekken 8: desglose del tráiler con el productor ejecutivo Katsuhiro Harada" [Tekken 8: Trailer Breakdown with Executive Producer Katsuhiro Harada]. IGN Latin America (in Spanish). Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Justin Gordon, Justin Gordon (August 23, 2023). "Shaheen, Steve, Leo, Yoshimitsu, Dragunov and Kuma revealed for Tekken 8, releasing January 26, 2024". Eventhubs. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  4. ↑ Morbhatt, Muskan (June 9, 2023). "Tekken 8 Closed Network Test in July: Register Now". OtakuZasshi. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Bailey, Kat (September 15, 2022). "Tekken 8: The Exclusive First Interview with Katsuhiro Harada - 'A Turning Point'". IGN. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ Marks, Tom (September 13, 2022). "Tekken 8 Officially Revealed". IGN. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  7. ↑ "THE LAST ROCKSTARS announce new song "MASTERY" for Tekken 8". J-Generation. November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
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