Everything We Know About Tekken 8 So Far — Characters, Mechanics, Release Date
The Tekken 8 character gameplay trailers have been going off on YouTube, proving that the FGC is anxiously awaiting the highly anticipated Tekken sequel. But Bandai Namco Entertainment has been taking its sweet time with its reveals and updates, leaving many fans wondering what we know so far about Tekken 8.
Tekken 8 was first revealed at Evo 2022 with a short teaser trailer. The crowd almost had a heart attack at the surprise reveal at the end of the Tekken 7 update announcement. But things went a bit quiet for a month.
Then in September of 2022, Tekken 8 was showcased in the Sony State of Play virtual event. The action-packed trailer showed Jin and Kazuya Mishima — father and son — in the middle of a very intense fight.
But what is actually happening with Tekken 8? Who is on the roster and when are we finally getting our hands on the game?
When Is Tekken 8 Coming Out?
Despite Tekken 8 being showcased time and time again — including The Game Awards at the end of 2022 — many of the specifics are still unknown. This unfortunately includes the release date.
At the moment, it’s unclear when Tekken 8 is coming out.
It’s rumored right now that Tekken 8 is most likely coming out at the end of 2023 or the early months of 2024. There was recently a report from Insider Gamer that said Tekken 8 is coming this year and Bandai Namco did tell investors that they are aiming for “fiscal 2023 or later.”
Tekken 8 Platforms
When Tekken 8 finally comes out, you can play it on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Tekken 8 will probably not be available for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, so you may want to start switching over to next-gen if you’re being a bit lazy like me.
Developers said in the past that Tekken 8 is “pushing the feeling of power in battles continuously further by harnessing the power of the latest generation of consoles.”
Which Characters Are Confirmed For Tekken 8?
Since the first Tekken 8 trailer, more and more characters have continued to be revealed by developers. The first two characters to be showcased were Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima. But since then, even more characters have been announced and individual character gameplay trailers have come out.
Here are the characters on the Tekken 8 roster so far:
- Jin Kazama / Devil Jin
- King II
- Jack-8
- Jun Kazama
- Nina Williams
- Lars Alexandersson
- Kazuya / Devil Kazuya
- Marshall Law
- Paul Phoenix
Tekken 8 Mechanics & Gameplay
Tekken 8 is bringing a lot of new gameplay mechanics to the iconic arcade fighter. Many were highlighted in a gameplay mechanics trailer, including a new Heat system and an upgraded Rage system.
The Heat System is the period of time when a fighter enters a short state of awakening. During this time, the fighter is encouraged to be more aggressive, with new offensive options unlocked. You’ll know you’re in Heat mode because you’ll be engulfed in blue flame for its 10-second duration. While on fire, spend Heat Energy to unleash stronger attacks.
Tekken 8 is looking to build upon the existing gameplay mechanics of Tekken 7, creating more intense fights with strategy-based combos and added options. The mechanics and gameplay have the FGC pumped. But there’s no saying how long they’ll have to wait at this point.
