It is almost time to once again become the King of Iron Fist Tournament as Tekken 8 is right around the corner. The game will once again be focused on the Mishima and Kazama family war as Kazuya and Jin clash and bring destruction across the globe.
Many fan-favourite characters will also be making a return, with it bringing one of the best rosters ever seen in a Tekken game. Ahead of its launch later this month here is everything we know so far about Tekken 8.
Tekken 8 Release Date And Platforms
Tekken 8 will be released worldwide on January 26, 2024, on PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Will Tekken 8 Be On PS Plus And Xbox Game Pass?
At launch, Tekken 8 won’t be added to either PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass and it won’t make an appearance any time soon. It may come to either service eventually, as Tekken 7 is currently on PS Plus, but at launch, you will need to buy it if you want to become the King of Iron Fist Tournament.
Tekken 8 Editions Compared
There are multiple different editions of Tekken 8 both for physical and digital releases. These are the Standard Edition, Collector’s Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Ultimate Edition. Check out what is included with each of them below.
Standard Edition (Physical)
- Tekken 8 base game
- Burning Chain metal plate
- Steelbook
- Corporation stickers
Collector’s Edition (Physical)
- Everything included in the Standard Edition
- Special Face-Off Steelbook
- Exclusive Jin figurine Non-Electrified (25cm)
- Leroy Smith Metal Ring with Velvet Pouch
- Arcade Token (5cm)
- 8 Glossy Collectible Cards
- Paul Phoenix Avatar Costume
- Kinjin Avatar Skin
- 32 Gold Suit Character Costumes
- 32 Classic Tekken T-Shirt Avatar Costumes
- Kazuya, Jin, and Jun Avatar Skins
- Character Year 1 Pass
Premium Collector’s Edition (Physical)
- Everything included in the Collector’s Edition except the Jin Figurine is Electrified
Ultimate Edition (Physical)
- Tekken 8 base game
- Burning Chain metal plate
- Corporation stickers
- Paul Phoenix Avatar Costume
- Kinjin Avatar Skin
- 32 Gold Suit Character Costumes
- 32 Classic Tekken T-Shirt Avatar Costumes
- Kazuya, Jin, and Jun Avatar Skins
- Character Year 1 Pass
Deluxe Edition (Digital)
- Tekken 8 base game
- Paul Phoenix Avatar Costume
- Kinjin Avatar Skin
- 32 Gold Suit Character Costumes
- Character Year 1 Pass
Ultimate Edition (Digital)
- Tekken 8 base game
- Paul Phoenix Avatar Costume
- Kinjin Avatar Skin
- 32 Gold Suit Character Costumes
- 32 Classic Tekken T-Shirt Avatar Costumes
- Kazuya, Jin, and Jun Avatar Skins
- Character Year 1 Pass
Tekken 8 Trailer
Check out the Tekken 8 reveal trailer from 2022 below.
Tekken 8 Roster
Tekken 8 will feature 32 characters at launch, with more characters being added across multiple-year Character Passes, each adding approximately 4 new fighters to the game. The entire launch fighters list has been revealed, check out the list below and click the links to view the reveal trailers.
Alisa Bosconovitch (Returning)
Asuka Kazama (Returning)
Azucena (New)
Bryan Fury (Returning)
Claudio Serafino (Returning)
Devil Jin (Returning)
Feng Wei (Returning)
Hworang (Returning)
Jack-8 (New)
Jin Kazama (Returning)
Jun Kazama (Returning)
Kazuya Mishima (Returning)
King (Returning)
Kuma (Returning)
Lars Alexandersson (Returning)
Lee Chaolan (Returning)
Leo (Returning)
Leroy Smith (Returning)
Lili (Returning)
Ling Xiaoyu (Returning)
Marshall Law (Returning)
Nina Williams (Returning)
Panda (Returning)
Paul Phoenix (Returning)
Raven (Returning)
Reina (New)
Sergei Dragunov (Returning)
Shaheen (Returning)
Steve Fox (Returning)
Victor Chevalier (New)
Yoshimitsu (Returning)
Zafina (Returning)
Tekken 8 DLC
Like the previous entry in the series, Tekken 8 will feature DLC which largely consists of new characters, stages, costumes, and new modes. The first Character Pass has already been announced, which will add 4 new characters throughout 2024, but these characters haven’t been confirmed yet.
Tekken 7 saw 4 Season Passes released, adding 16 new characters, 2 stages, and the Tekken Bowl mode, so this could give us an indication of the amount of DLC to expect from Tekken 8. The Character Passes are a great way to add popular returning characters, as well as the potential for collaborations, such as The Walking Dead’s Negan appearing in Tekken 7. Although no characters have been confirmed, it is possible we could see returning characters such as Heihachi, Armor King, Anna, Ganryu, and Craig.
Tekken 8 Game Modes
Tekken 8 is packed full of content and game modes to check out, from fun modes to an in-depth story mode. The new addition to the series is Arcade Quest, which allows players to create their own avatar and play a variety of different arcade modes, each designed to teach you how to play the game. This is similar to Street Fighter 6’s World Tour mode.
The new story mode is called The Dark Awakens and will focus on Kazuya and Jin, but also include episodes for other characters to further expand upon their stories and play in the Tekken universe. Tekken Ball also makes a return, the volleyball-style mode that was first introduced in Tekken 3 and was also present in Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Unfortunately, Tekken Bowl is nowhere to be seen, but that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be added in the future as it is incredibly popular.
There are also the usual modes such as Arcade, Practice, Vs, and a variety of online modes to take on players across the world.
New Mechanics And Features
The biggest change to Tekken 8 is the inclusion of a new mechanic called the Heat System. This new mechanic allows players to get more aggressive and incorporate offensive attacks into their playstyle, with each character having unique abilities and features.
The overall playstyle of Tekken 8 feels a lot more aggressive compared to previous entries, which makes it very fun especially for more casual players. Staple mechanics such as Rage Arts make a return, bringing some familiarity for those who previously played titles such as Tekken 7.
Does Tekken 8 Have A Story?
While the Tekken series does have a story, it is a fighting game and if you have no interest in the lore of the series you can simply ignore it and focus on fighting. For those interested, the Tekken series has largely revolved around the Mishima/Kazama family, focusing on Heihachi, who is absent from the base roster, his son Kazuya, and his grandson Jin.
In Tekken 8, the story will focus on Jin and Kazuya as the father and son battle it out causing war and destruction across the world. There will also be separate story arcs for other characters. If you’ve never played a Tekken game you could check out Tekken 7 to get caught up, or watch some lore videos on YouTube if it is something you will be interested in.
