Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada recently addressed the possibility of a Nintendo Switch 2 port of the popular fighting game. While the director did not confirm any official plans, he said that the idea of a Switch 2 port for Tekken 8 could be a good business decision and is not totally off the table, but may come with a few difficulties.
Released in 2024, Tekken 8 is one of the most successful fighting games in recent years. Publisher Bandai Namco recently revealed that Tekken 8 sold over 3 million copies, outpacing the performance of Tekken 7, which eventually pushed out 12 million units after a decade. The growth of Tekken 8’s user base could be expanded by releasing the game on other platforms, however, and some fans have begun asking if the title will be released for the Switch 2.
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Tekken 8 Director Thinks Nintendo Switch 2 Port Would Be Technically Difficult, But a Good Business Decision
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, the Tekken 8 director addressed the Switch 2 port, saying that “it’s an interesting option, and not totally off the table.” Harada believes that the idea is great from a business standpoint and could help the title expand its audience. However, it would also prove technically challenging, which makes it “not a very easy decision.” This means that, unfortunately, there’s no official Switch 2 port announcement at the time, but the possibility remains open, or at least it seems to be in Harada’s opinion.
Earlier this year, Street Fighter 6 was released for the Switch 2, with the title achieving a total of 5 million global sales across all platforms soon after. This means that there’s an appetite for popular fighting games on Nintendo’s platform, giving more credibility to the idea that a Switch 2 port for Tekken 8 would be profitable for Bandai Namco.
Recent reports indicate that the Nintendo Switch 2 sold over 6 million units in less than two months. The platform has certainly been a huge hit, with its few available first-party titles, such as Mario Kart World, still dominating on the system. The highly anticipated racing game has sold over 5.53 million copies across the globe.
Tekken 8 could certainly use a boost in popularity, especially after additions such as the new Muay Thai specialist Fahkumram divided the fanbase, and other characters such as Miary Zo had a similar reception. In any case, it remains to be seen if the developer of Tekken 8 will put in the work to port the fighting game to the Switch 2, or if gamers will continue to be unable to play it on Nintendo’s latest platform.
Tekken 8
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
