Tekken 8 will reportedly be released next year. The latest Tekken game was teased during EVO 2022, with series mainstay Kazuya Mishima making a brief appearance on the screen with the text "Stay tuned." Now, it seems that Bandai Namco would be releasing the game sooner than players think.
Since 1994, players have followed Tekken's story, which mostly revolved around members of the Mishima family. Over the span of seven main games and a couple of spin-off titles, players got to experience a variety of fighting tactics from old and new characters. This also included several crossover appearances from Street Fighter's Akuma, King of Fighters' Geese Howard, and Final Fantasy 15' s Noctis.
Seven years after the release of Tekken 7, Bandai Namco reportedly confirmed that Tekken 8 will be coming in fiscal 2023. According to Insider Gaming, a representative from the company revealed this during their latest earnings call. They explained that Tekken 8 is still under development, and that they plan to release it sometime after March 31, 2023, or later.
On Bandai Namco's website, it explained that Tekken 8 will be built on Unreal Engine 5. Characters would be "built from the ground-up" to give them high-definition hair, skin, and muscles to reflect their movements. Meanwhile, the story would continue from Tekken 7, focusing on the father-son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. Tekken 8 will be available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Tekken fans seem excited by the news, expressing that 2023 would be a great year for games. One noted that it would be a big year for fighting games, specifically, as Capcom's Street Fighter 6 and Riot Forge's Project L are both set to release in 2023 as well. Others also theorized that a longer Tekken 8 trailer would premiere at the 2022 Game Awards this December. They would have to tune in to find out.
Meanwhile, some fans seem to be managing their expectations, noting that Tekken 8 might be released in early 2024 at the earliest. Considering how sporadic other Tekken releases had been in the past, it's likely that the eighth installment might take longer. Especially if Bandai Namco plans to redesign each character in the game, and possibly create new ones in the process. Despite these concerns, excited fans seem to be willing to wait, so they could experience Tekken 8's enhanced graphics, fresh roster, and fun gameplay mechanics.
Tekken 8 is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Insider Gaming