Everything we know about the mysterious new Tekken 8

Tekken 7 received its final DLC character in March 2021. It has sold more than 9 million copies according to series producer Katsuhiro Harada. Despite the game being around for seven years, it still attracts a large enough audience to be included in the Evolution Championship 2022 lineup. But the hot new thing is coming to replace it — Tekken 8 has been officially announced during the September State of Play after a cryptic tease in August at Evolution Championships. Here is everything you need to know about the next installment in the Tekken franchise.

When will Tekken 8 be released?

No, Tekken 8 doesn’t have a definitive release date yet. However, Bandai Namco did hint at a 2023 release date in its latest financial briefing (via PSU).

“We are planning a large number of projects. Tekken 8 is also under development with the aim of launching in fiscal 2023 or later.”

While the newest trailer did give us plenty to look at there was no release date or window. In the PlayStation Blog post director Katsuhiro said, “the game is still in development, so I’m afraid we will have to ask you to wait a little longer.”

Tekken 8 was mentioned in the infamous Nvidia leak from late 2021 that has included now confirmed titles like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and the Resident Evil 4 remake. While this doesn’t confirm anything about a release date, it does suggest the game has been in development for at least a year if not more.

Is there a Tekken 8 trailer?

Yes! At this point, Bandai Namco has uploaded multiple Tekken 8 trailers ahead of the game’s launch.

Tekken 8 was first teased back at the beginning of August at the end of Evolution Championships. The tease began with the ending cutscene of the original Tekken. The scene sees Kazuya Mishima throwing his father off a cliff, as Kazuya smirks into the camera it cuts to the same shot of Kazuya in high-quality modern graphics and the Tekken announcer telling fans to “Get Ready.”

Then, starting off the September State of Play with a bang, Tekken 8 revealed itself in all its glory. The footage focuses on the battle between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. Of note is that the trailer is captured in-engine and, according to PlayStation Blog, is pulled directly from the current build of the game.

The latest trailer from the 2022 Game Awards confirmed that Jun Kazama, Kazuya’s lover and Jin’s mother, would play a role in the Tekken 8 family feud. It will be her first canonical appearance since her debut in Tekken 2. Other familiar faces, including Paul, King, Law, Lars, and Jack-8, will join her. Watch for a compilation of emotional cutscenes threaded between action-packed fight sequences.

What platforms will Tekken 8 be on?

Tekken 8 is bringing the franchise into the current console generation and not looking back. It will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC via Steam.

What is the Tekken 8 story?

Tekken as a franchise has one of the longest-running stories in video games. Starting with Tekken in 1994 the series follows the members of the Mishima family. Beginning with the story of Kazuya taking down his father Heihachi, the story has evolved into an epic story about generational trauma that is solved through lots of punching. There is also a hefty dose of supernatural nonsense, but at its heart, it (like Fast & Furious) is about family.

Tekken 7 saw the Mishima conflict come to a head between Heihachi, Kazuya, and Kazuya’s son Jin. With Heihachi finally dead, Jin now looks to take down his father to end the cursed bloodline that is the Mishima family. Tekken 7 was originally intended to be the end of the Mishima Clan Saga but that now falls on Tekken 8 which will see the conclusion of the battle between Kazuya, Jin, and maybe Jun.

What will Tekken 8 gameplay be like?

Most popular fighting games fall generally into the 2D category. Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, and Smash Bros. all take place on a two-dimensional stage that only gives players the ability to move left, right, up, and down. Tekken on the other hand is fully 3D. Stages are circular, allowing for opponents to maneuver around each other in addition to traditional four-directional movement.

Tekken 8 looks to retain the core of the franchise’s gameplay experience based on the State of Play trailer. However, one new addition is the introduction of dynamic backgrounds. The raging storm full of lightning, fire, tornados, and waves seen in the trailer is all dynamic. Each stage will have some element like this that will change over the course of the battle. It doesn’t look like Tekken will go quite as far as taking a page out of Injustice’s book and making the environment interactable, but the increased detail and changing environment do add to the mood of a fight, something that will help sell the epic end to the story of the Mishima clan.

What is the Tekken 8 character roster?

Tekken 8 promises to bring back series favorites for one final clash between family members. Here are the characters confirmed for the upcoming Tekken game so far:

• Kazuya Mishima
• Jin Kazama
• Jun Kazama
• Nina Williams
• Paul Phoenix
• King II
• Martial Law
• Lars Alexandersson
• Jack-8