Tekken 8: What Do Profile Stats Mean?

While you're enjoying Tekken 8's wide array of content and trying some online matches, ranked or not, you'll probably see three different 'Performance Stats' pop up under your name and info when loading into a match. These stats have names like Side Swapper, Hyperfocused, Composed, Goal-Oriented, and so on. And, if you take a deeper look at your opponent's stat on the Profile menu after a match, you should stat graph of sorts that breaks down the player's proficiency in Attack, Technique, Appeal, Spirit, and Defense.

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You can also find these stats for your own profile if you simply head to the Main Menu, select the Play Data option, and then go over to the Performance Stats Tab. But, it can be incredibly confusing figuring out how exactly you have something like 85 Appeal and 30 Defense, so let's break down what these stats and substats mean in Tekken 8 to the best of our ability.

We're exposing our own Performance Stats in the images below, try not to be too judgmental of the lack of Throw Breaks, etc, just like any dedicated Tekken 8 player, we're working on improving the stats we're lacking in.

Attack

A Pretty Important Stat To Measure In A Fighting Game

Tekken 8 - Performance Stat Explanations Header Image

Tekken 8 - Attack Performance Stat Breakdown

First up is the Attack Stat, and this will likely be your highest stat if not your second highest at worst. Included in the calculation of this stat are substats that are given both numerical representations and letter-grade representations. For Attack it's Troublemaker, Heavy Hitter, Agressive, and Overwhelming. Heavy Hitter, Aggressive, and Overwhelming are sort of easy to understand at a glance, as they probably denote how much damage you do when responding to an opponent's attacks, how aggressive your playstyle is in general, and how much you keep your opponent locked down during a barrage of attacks. But, Troublemaker is a bit confusing, and some dedicated fans in the Tekken 8 community have compared their own numbers and playstyles to figure out what each of these 'approximately' means.

The definitions for these substats are by no means confirmed in-game, these are just what they 'most likely' represent.

Troublemaker: You like to throw a lot of mixups in (AKA throwing your opponent's defense by mixing highs and lows) to a barrage or you utilize a lot of throws.
Heavy Hitter: You use a lot of attacks with Knockdown or Knockback effects.
Aggressive: When you decide to attack, you go all out unleashing as many as possible, and you probably get a lot of counter-hits.
Overwhelming: You use a lot of Power Crushes, moves with high plus frames, armored moves, unblockable attacks. And so on.

While you'll want your Attack Stat to be high, if your Attack is at 90 and your defense is at 30, you might be putting a bit too much effort into going all out without any consideration for when and where to block or duck.

Technique

Essentially Your Overall Knowledge & Usage of Complex Tekken 8 Systems

Next up is the Technique stat, which includes the Precise, Discerning, Side-Swapper, and Stage User substats. This stat, in general, will likely be very low for people prone to button mashing and very high for longtime Tekken veterans. The substats here all rely on high execution mechanics and require a player who has done their research or at the very least has done a lot of practice. To go a bit more into 'estimations' of what each substat means:

Precise: When you attack the enemy, you don't whiff, the lower this number, the more you whiff on average.
Discerning: You can tell what moves your opponent does are punishable and you take advantage of these moments well.
Side-Swapper: While this does increase from switching sides often either through throws or sidestepping, it also increases when players use their Stances a lot or use Stance Transitions.
Stage User: This one takes your usage of the walls and floors of stages into account. If you rarely take advantage of getting an enemy up against a wall, knocking them through the floor, and so on, this will likely be pretty low.

Of course, you don't 'have' to get each of these stats to a certain amount to feel good about your skill in Tekken 8, but if you have Technique at about 50 or more, you can feel confident about knowing at least the basics of all Tekken 8's systems.

Appeal

Probably The Least 'Impactful' Stat Measurement

Compared to stats that are more 'cut and dry' like Attack or Defense, the Appeal stat might seem a bit ridiculous. However, while it does take some non-important factors into account when determining your Appeal Score, it actually considers more mechanical aspects than you might think. The substats in Appeal are Respectful, Goal-Oriented, Fair & Square, and Myriad, and here's what they probably encompass:

Respectful: You rematch your opponents often, the lower this substat, the more you might want to reconsider your 'one and done' Ranked Match attitude.
Goal-Oriented: Essentially measures how often you make comebacks during a match (AKA beat your opponent while at low health). Consider every 'Great' that pops up when finishing a round a contribution to this substat.
Fair & Square: The higher this substat, the less you tend to attack first in a round or keep attacking after you've won the round.
Myriad: You literally use a 'myriad' of different moves and mixups, and these heavily influence this substat.

So, as you can now see, the Appeal Stat is actually relatively important to keep track of, and if yours is low it might imply that you've got some work to do in the range of moves you use and the attitude you have against your opponents.

Spirit

Basically A Measurement Of How Much 'Gusto' You Have

Our second-to-last stat measured here is Spirit, and this one is also pretty difficult to understand at a glance, just like Appeal. In the Spirit stat are the Close Combatant, Underdog, Full of Fight, and Hyper-Focused substat, and these (probably) can be described as such:

Close Combatant: How often you rush down your opponent or keep the fight at a very close range.
Underdog: When you beat opponents who seem to have a higher overall Performance stat than you or Rank, this likely increases as well.
Full of Fight: You attack first in the round often and will likely continue to hit your opponent's body even after you've knocked them out.
Hyper-Focused: Measures how often you use your Heat, Heat Rush, and Rage Arts. Likely includes Heat Engagers as well.

This is a stat that people who play highly aggressive characters such as Steve Fox, Dragonuv, Reina, and so on will probably have a high number in. If your Spirit is high, you can safely assume that you're pretty invested in Tekken 8 overall.

Defense

Tekken 8 Might Be More Attack-Focused, But This Stat Still Matters A Lot

Last up is the Defense stat, and this one matters quite a bit. Defense has the Block Up, Dodge King, Escape Artist, and Composed substats in it and overall it's a Stat that tells you that you might be pressing buttons too often or at the wrong times. To go a bit more into what these substats probably mean:

Block Up: How well you block, how often you block, and your general blocking proficiency.
Dodge King: How well you use side-steps and backdashes to avoid opponent's attacks and make them whiff.
Escape Artist: This measures how often you break Throws, and considering the buff to Throws in Tekken 8, this is a lot of players' worst substat.
Composed: This substat measures how well you keep your opponent at a distance or use pokes to keep them away when necessary.

Essentially, the Defense category measures how well you utilize the defensive options in Tekken 8 such as blocking, side-stepping, throw-breaking, and proper spacing. While Tekken 7 placed a bit more importance on Defense overall, Tekken 8 is a bit more offense-focused. But that doesn't mean it's okay if your Defense stat is low, and it'll only become a more and more crucial stat to improve on the higher you get in the ranks and the more the Tekken 8 community improves as a whole.

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