Tekken 8 Season 3: 5 characters needed to keep the game relevant in esports

It’s fair to say that Tekken 8, developed by Bandai Namco and released in January 2024 for consoles and PC, has had a rocky ride. Despite the fighting game heralding many improvements from its predecessor, such as being powered by Unreal Engine 5, a great story mode, and new fighting improvements, its post-release content has not been well-received.

When Tekken 8’s Season 2 pass came out, fans criticised it for characters becoming overpowered or weakened, meaning some moves could now be unblockable or unable to be countered. Combine this with the series’ main antagonist, Heihachi Mishima, returning after being killed in Tekken 7, and it made the storyline meaningless, making fans wonder if Bandai Namco has lost focus on the series.

With the game’s player base falling as well as its appearances at esports tournaments, according to Esports Charts, it’s more important than ever for the game to keep its relevance in esports. With this in mind, we’ve listed five characters that could help recover some fan support, once Bandai Namco announces Tekken 8 Season 3.

Tekken 8 is currently in decline among players, especially in the esports scene. Prolific ones like SonicFox and PhiDX have crashed out of the game, blaming Season 2 for breaking many characters’ attacks, making them overpowered and unblockable.

Indeed, Kohei Ikeda, game director of Tekken 8, apologised on social media in April after an emergency patch was released, admitting that Season 2 “did not meet your expectations and caused inconvenience due to critical issues.” These efforts are still ongoing, with Bandai Namco releasing more game-balancing patches, as well as announcing characters like Anna and Armor King to help bring fans back to the game.

But it’s still a tall mountain for the developer to climb. Season 2 has eroded a lot of goodwill with fans, and there’s still more to do before Tekken 8 brings the series back into relevancy and respect.

Last playable: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (2011)

First introduced in Tekken 3 as the ninja Yoshimitsu’s friend, the scientist brought several fresh attributes to the series, even though he appeared as a playable character just twice in the whole series. Suffering from an unknown disease, Doctor Boscovonitch would attack opponents by using moves from other fighters via crouching and lying down, as he was unable to stand. Unlockable by beating Tekken Force mode several times in Tekken 3, he returned in the spin-off, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, in 2012 as a free DLC character. He was an unconventional character to control, but it was part of his charm. As he’s still alive in the Tekken world, there’s no reason why he can’t return as DLC again in Tekken 8, with his grunts, laboratory stage, and more.

Last playable: Tekken 7 (DLC from 2020)

Kunimitsu is an underrated character who differs from Yoshimitsu in many ways. A female ninja, she is very fast in moving, dodging, and performing attacks on opponents. Armed with a dagger in her early appearances in Tekken 1, 2, and Tag Tournament, Kunimitsu was always a fun character to play, so it was a great surprise for fans when her daughter, unofficially named Kunimitsu II, appeared as a playable DLC character in Tekken 7. A return in Tekken 8, complete with her dagger and moves like Setsunagake and Cycle of Rebirth, could offer players new ways to fight against others at several esports events.

Last playable: Tekken Tag Tournament 2

First seen in Tekken 1 as a robot of Jack in a very unfinished state, Prototype Jack became a fan favourite due to his powerful and random attacks, such as the crane move in Tekken Tag 2. But it was also due to Prototype Jack having moves from previous Jack models that the newer version lacks, such as Jackhammer, Machine Blast, and the iconic Giant Foot Stomp, which originated with this model. Having him back in Tekken 8 would be a coup, as his look, with sunglasses, a cap, and a vest that makes the character something out of an ’80s movie, makes for a fun impression, and could work well with viewers at esports events if he appeared in a blaze of glory.

Last playable: Tekken Tag Tournament (Roger); Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Alex)

The dinosaur and kangaroo, called Alex and Roger, respectively, represent the randomness of the Tekken series. The pair was first playable in Tekken 2 by finishing the second round with very low health. Then winning a match against one of them, they would appear infrequently. They each wear boxing gloves, but their style is wrestling, thanks to being trained by the original Armor King. 

They are both fast fighters but can achieve a lot of damage, thanks to moves like Animal Rampage and Giant Swing. Despite their last appearance being Tekken Tag Tournament 2 in 2012, a return in Tekken 8 could be shown to fans in a new light. Especially at esports events, for all the seriousness the game has shown, especially in its storyline between Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima, there’s still room for hilarity and fun that the series has always been known for.

Last playable: Tekken Tag Tournament 2

First appearing in Tekken 2, and also when the name ‘Jinpachi’ first appeared via his ending cutscene, Wang is seen as an underrated character in the series for several reasons. Adapting the Xingyiquan fighting style, he’s a great fighter in close combat, meaning he can perform moves that can deal plenty of damage with simple attacks, as well as plenty of wall damage, but can also dodge several of his opponents. 

Having last appeared in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, a Wang return would be a win for fans and players of the series and esports alike, as the character has a lot of history with the Mishima family, especially Jinpachi, Heihachi’s Father. Having Wang back could give some more emotional depth to the main campaign mode for both Jin and Kazuya, as well as Heihachi now that he’s back, and perhaps show some flashbacks to when Wang spent time with Jinpachi in their younger days.

It’s a tall order for Bandai Namco to get fans back on board with Tekken 8. Fortunately, the series still retains a lot of goodwill, as there are plenty of games from its past that are unchanged, still fun to play, and offer lots of variety, from Tekken Ball Mode in Tekken 8 to Tekken Force Mode in Tekken 3.

Past characters bring a lot of nostalgia and love for players as well, which could help Tekken 8 retain its standing in the esports scene and the fighting genre overall. Bandai Namco is aware that it made huge mistakes with Season 2 and is quickly trying to change course, but it should also look at other aspects to do it, and bringing back fan-favourite characters from the series’ history could be a great way to do it.