Tekken 8 Director Claps Back at Fan Criticizing Anna…

Summary

The Tekken 8 director calls criticism of Anna Williams' new look "unconstructive" and "pointless."
Some players believe she's "overdesigned" and have even compared her appearance to Santa Claus.
Despite some negative feedback, many fans are pleased with Anna Williams' new look in Tekken 8.

Tekken 8 game director Katsuhiro Harada has clapped back at fans criticizing Anna Williams’ new look, calling the comments “unconstructive” and “pointless.” The Tekken 8 developer announced that it is bringing back Anna Williams, and while most fans seem to like her new look, some don’t.

Tekken 8 is the latest entry in Bandai Namco’s iconic fighting game series, bringing improved visuals, character models, better lighting, and an overall upgraded graphical experience. The game launched with a substantial base roster of characters and has added new ones since, like Eddy Gordo and Lidia Sobieska. Now, with the recent reveal of Anna Williams, fans have expressed their opinions on social media, catching the attention of the game’s director.

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By Liam Ferguson

Following Tekken 8’s announcement that Anna Williams will be the first fighter gracing the new season, some players have heavily criticized her new look, calling it “overdesigned” and comparing her appearance to Santa Claus, among other things. These comments upset game director Katsuhiro Harada, who responded on Twitter, saying that those who don’t like the new design can always go back and play the old Anna in previous games. Additionally, he clapped back at players claiming to represent “Anna fans,” telling them that their opinions are just individual takes and that most are “unconstructive, utterly pointless.”

Tekken 8 Director Calls Anna Criticism 'Unconstructive' and 'Pointless'

Harada called out players whose way of demanding content from the developer is disrespectful, recalling certain fans’ “threats” to quit the game if specific characters weren’t brought back to Tekken 8—only to criticize them the moment they were released. Harada expressed frustration over the fact that Anna Williams underwent a complete redesign from scratch, adding that if they had brought her back with her previous design, those same players would have accused the team of recycling.

While Harada focused on responding to negative comments, a large portion of fans were actually very satisfied with the new design. One player on Reddit mentioned how well the new look fits her personality, and while there are some elements they believe could be improved—like the feathers—the overall reception has been positive.

On social media, the argument between the game’s director and unhappy fans escalated to the point where Harada decided to mute one of them. Beyond this particular controversy, 2024 was a great year for Tekken 8, as the game sold 3 million copies, surpassing Tekken 7’s performance. Fans should be excited, as in addition to Anna Williams, Bandai Namco has more plans for new content moving forward.

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