Tekken 8: Everything we know – trailers, character roster & more

Tekken 8 is facing a lengthy but methodical and careful development time. While we don’t yet have a release date, the developers have been gradually drip feeding us character reveals and content updates. Find out everything you need to know about Tekken 8 here.

Tekken 8 will be the latest entry in the long-running fighting game franchise. A teaser trailer from EVO 2022 gave us a quick look at Kazuya Mishima, but nothing else.

The September 13 Sony State of Play event gave us a greater insight into the game and what to expect though. We were treated to a fight between Jin and his villainous father, Kazuya Mishima, showing off what the game could look like in real-time.

With the anticipation building for the next release in the franchise, here’s everything we know so far about Tekken 8.

Father. Son. Mother. This family reunion is going to be explosive.  #TEKKEN 8 is bringing back old grudges to the new generation – Kazuya, Jin, Paul, King, Law, Lars, Jack-8 and… the return of Jun Kazama!  Get ready for the next-gen battle! pic.twitter.com/MoMqlNWSbt

— TEKKEN (@TEKKEN) December 9, 2022

Contents:

• Is there a release date for Tekken 8?
• Tekken 8: Platforms
• Tekken 8: Character roster
• Tekken 8: Trailers
• Tekken 8: Closed Network Test

Is there a release date for Tekken 8?

Unfortunately, no. While the State of Play and The Game Awards trailers gave us a lot more to look at than the EVO teaser, we still haven’t gotten an official release date for Tekken 8, nor even really a release window.

However, a report from Insider Gaming revealed that gamers can expect the latest Tekken entry to release in 2023, so we’ll have to see if that’s the case.

During a recent investor meeting, developer Bandai Namco hinted at an early 2023 release date for Tekken 8: “We are planning a large number of projects. Tekken 8 is also under development with the aim of launching in fiscal 2023 or later.”

The only thing we know so far from the trailer is that we should “stay tuned” for more updates. It’s more than we got from the EVO trailer considering the game’s title drop, but not much else was shown on this front.

Tekken 8: Platforms

It has been confirmed that Tekken 8 will release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

PS4 and Xbox One consoles will likely not receive a version of Tekken 8, as the developers have said they’re “pushing the feeling of power in battles continuously further by harnessing the power of the latest generation of consoles.”

Things could change between now and the full release, but for the time being, we should go on the basis that Tekken 8 is a current-gen-only release.

Tekken 8: Character roster

The first Tekken 8 trailer showcased Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima, making them the first two revealed characters. And, while Devil Jin is a separate character from normal Jin in Tekken 7, there’s no reason to believe that’s the case in Tekken 8 just yet.

Additionally, the very first series newcomer announced for Tekken 8, Azucena, was paired with returning favorite Raven in a dual announcement during EVO 2023.

Though there are certainly more characters to come, here’s the full list of confirmed fighters so far:

• Jin Kazama / Devil Jin
• Jack-8
• Jun Kazama
• Kazuya / Devil Kazuya
• King
• Lars Alexandersson
• Marshall Law
• Nina Williams
• Paul Phoenix
• Brian Fury
• Hworang
• Lili
• Ling Xiaoyu
• Leroy Smith
• Asuka Kazama
• Raven
• Azucena

Tekken 8: Trailers

Our first peek at Tekken 8 was from the teaser trailer at EVO 2022. It was a brief teaser that harkened back to days of old with footage from the very first Tekken game.

Since this is a clip taken from the teaser’s showing at EVO, you can hear the crowd erupt after seeing this new and improved Kazuya that’s a clear step up from his Tekken 7 character model.

A little over a month after this Tekken teaser, we would get a full trailer for the next Tekken game that confirmed it to be the next big entry in the series.

This trailer is real-time 60 FPS footage, meaning it isn’t pre-rendered like many game trailers. The final version, however, is subject to change.

We got to see the father and son rivals duke it out with some very familiar game mechanics in play. Electric attacks and slow-motion finishes were shown in the trailer.

As for the story, on December 9, 2022, Tekken 8 released a teaser trailer showcasing the narrative of the game, alongside some flashy gameplay animations and combos.

Then came the Tekken 8 keynote. Legendary Tekken developer Harada sat alongside Kohei Ikeda as the two introduced brand-new gameplay mechanics coming to Tekken 8.

These included things like the brand new Heat System and all the moves that have come along with its implementation, a revised Rage system, Guard damage, and other quality-of-life improvements that set Tekken 8 apart from its predecessors.

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