Top Tekken 8 pro Bae “Knee” Jae-Min started a heated debate over if the newest version of the classic fighting game is fun to play or not.
On April 17, Knee simply stated that “Tekken 8 is not fun.” His reasonings? The game felt too aggressive for someone who has been playing since the first Tekken — and it’s something he just can’t seem to get used to.
Due to Knee’s status in the fighting game community as a top player and icon, his tweet became heavily discussed amongst competitive players.
After Knee voiced his disdain for Tekken 8’s aggressive playstyle, it seemed like there were two opinions forming within the community. Some felt as though fighting games reward aggression too much and noted older fighting games that valued defensive playstyles while others were invigorated by the fast and fun matches.
Knee himself explained that Tekken 8 has a new mechanic where you can still get chip damage from some attacks when blocking. This has caused frustration for some OG players that feel they’re getting punished for playing defensively. Some agreed that the balance between attack and defense isn’t there and is a bit one-sided in favor of attack thanks to mechanics like Heat.
Another top player, Arslan Ash, called out Knee for “complaining about the game.” He replied that he’s going to “adapt regardless of the meta,” warning other pros that they’ll see him “at the top soon” once he finds his character and style in Tekken 8.
One of the best fighting game legends, Dominique “SonicFox” McLean replied to Ash that they were in favor of Knee. They noted that many players are “space control specialists” who may find it “incredibly hard” to control the “chaos” of the match.
They added: “We must simply play something incredibly oppressive.”
For this reason, SonicFox agreed that Mortal Kombat, Tekken 8, and other modern fighting games are clearly fun to watch for their fast-paced matches but are no longer fun to play.
In response to the ongoing discussion debate, Knee decided to explain his views on Tekken 8 a bit further. He noted that Tekken 8 and other newer titles are made with beginners in mind but long-time players sometimes don’t agree with the changes that are implemented for easy learning. A lot of the techniques he used for years also didn’t work in Tekken 8 due to these changes.
“I think T8 is made to learn quickly,” Knee tweeted. “This means something different from knowing how to beat your opponent.”
Still, Knee apologized for sharing a negative opinion on the newer game, not wanting to have caused any drama or brought anyone down. He noted that the game would be good with small modifications but he will be trying hard to grind the game and overcome the updates either way.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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