Tekken 8 release date, gameplay, characters, platforms

The hype train for Tekken 8 is in top gear, with constant character and mechanic reveals until the game’s official release date.

The Tekken series is one of the oldest franchises in fighting games. Dating back to 1994, the series has become synonymous with 3D fighting games thanks to its casual appeal, technical depth, and bustling tournament scene.

Tekken 8 is carrying the torch for the new console generation, and Bandai Namco has already unveiled a ton of information on the next-gen entry. Get ready for the next battle with the release date, confirmed characters, mechanical changes, and more for Tekken 8.

The official release date for Tekken 8

The planned release date for Tekken 8 is sometime in 2023, with no date yet specified. 

The ambiguous release date has some fans worried, as it leaves the possibility that the game’s release will be pushed back into 2024. However, Tekken 8 appears to already be in a playable state. The confirmed character list is still quite small at just 12 with the announcement of Asuka Kazama, but there will likely be at least double that number when the game launches.

Based on recently-revealed gameplay footage and trailers, Tekken 8 will most likely come out in the last quarter of 2023.

Tekken 8 will also break tradition by having the same release date for both arcade and console versions of the game. Tekken 7, along with previous entries, had an extensive arcade-only release before the console launch to add new characters and finetune the battle mechanics. The game was infamously imbalanced during the beta, but Tekken 8 will skip the testing phase entirely. 

Tekken 8 will bring massive gameplay changes

In addition to updating the graphics and character roster, Tekken 8 will bring several major gameplay changes to the series’ classic 3D identity.

Bandai Namco has revealed a list of changed mechanics for the game, some of which are extremely controversial. Counterhit standing 4 kicks no longer launch by default, instead giving a smaller combo follow-up. Certain niche mechanics, like running tackles and wall bounces, are also being removed entirely. 

The fan-made list also touches on chip damage, which will return to the series after its absence in Tekken 7. The new system will deal damage to players even when they block moves, which will favor aggressive playstyles while rushing players to make commitments on defense. The chip damage could also push players into Rage mode, which now introduces multiple options in addition to the traditional Rage Drive and Rage Art. 

The most talked-about adjustment of all is the change to Rage Arts, which will no longer be launch punishable on block. The low-risk, high-reward option is already infamous in Tekken 7, and the possibility of the opponent surviving after a last-ditch Rage Art has some fans upset.

All the confirmed characters for Tekken 8 so far

The confirmed character roster for Tekken 8 currently includes the following:

• Kazuya Mishima
• Jin Kazama
• Asuka Kazama
• Jack-9
• Jun Kazama
• King
• Lars Alexandersson
• Leroy Smith
• Marshall Law
• Nina Williams
• Paul Phoenix

Plenty of iconic names are still missing from this list, but Bandai Namco still has plenty of time to reveal them before the planned release date of Tekken 8 in 2023. Series mainstays like Bryan Fury, Kuma, Eddie Gordo, Lee Chaolan, Hwaorang, Steve Fox, and Dragunov are very likely to return. Tekken is known for its massive character roster, and the newest entry hopefully won’t disappoint on that front.

However, several characters from Tekken 7 are significantly less likely to return. Heihachi and Kazumi Mishima are very unlikely to appear, as are the guest characters like Akuma, Negan, and Geese Howard. There are also repeating characters that are less generally popular, like Bob, Feng, Leo, Miguel, and others. These names and faces are less likely to return at launch.

Based on Tekken 7, Bandai Namco plans to greatly expand the Tekken 8 roster with several seasons of DLC. 

Tekken 8 launch platforms 

Tekken 8 will launch on all of the following platforms for its 2023 release date.

• PC
• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series

Tekken 8 will notably not be available on the previous generation of consoles, as neither of the two platforms are listed on the game’s official website.

The Nintendo Switch is also a notable exclusion, though Tekken 7 was also not available on the console. The Tekken series has always pushed its graphics as a major selling point, so it’s not a shock to see Tekken 8 skipping older platforms. Still, for fans who haven’t bought into the current generation of hardware, it’s a major disappointment.

Will Tekken 8 feature rollback netcode and crossplay on release date?

Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada accidentally confirmed both rollback netcode and crossplay during a recent rant on social media.

The April 8 tweet was originally intended to be a response to a fan requesting the confirmation of rollback netcode. The game director responded with vigor, informing fans that Tekken 8 will feature both rollback and crossplay at launch. The director claimed that such things weren’t already confirmed because fans would have taken the announcements for granted. He finished his statement by telling fans to “shut up & sit the hell down.”

already installed it, and it already has what you want. The reason WHY we don't make big announcements like cross-play is Cuz even if we make big announcements, people like you will only say things like, "waaaa! That's normal in this day and age."
So shut up & sit the hell down. https://t.co/ZA1ZKMV9gC

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 9, 2023

These two features are considered critical to a fighting game’s success in 2023. Tekken 7 struggled with both, with severe miscommunication between players and developers surrounding that title’s online infrastructure. Tekken 7 would eventually get a somewhat-flawed rollback implementation close to the game’s end-of-life, but fans are happy to hear that functioning online will be the in the game from the start.

However, as Harada feared, future Tekken 8 fans are now expecting even more features from other games and previous Tekken titles. Tekken Bowl will probably not be in the game at launch, and framerates higher than 60 will probably not be available either. In-game frame data and hitboxes are up in the air, but considering the former’s DLC in Tekken 7, it will hopefully be in the game at launch.