Summary

  • Heihachi Mishima will be playable in Tekken 8 starting October 1 for Player Character Year 1 Pass holders, and October 4 for everyone else.
  • Heihachi survived his supposed death by lava pit in Tekken 7, and will soon return as a playable fighter in Tekken 8.
  • Heihachi's debut will coincide with the release of a new battle stage called Genmaji Temple and a free story update.

Tekken 8 confirmed that Heihachi Mishima, the iconic villain of the series, will be playable starting on October 1 for those who purchased the Player Character Year 1 Pass. Tekken 8 players looking to play as Heihachi separately from the character pass will have to wait until October 4 Eastern time to take up the mantle of the Mishima Clan patriarch.

During the Evo 2024 tournament in Las Vegas, Tekken 8 producer Katsuhiro Harada shocked the world by revealing that Heihachi Mishima survived a fateful encounter at the end of Tekken 7. The climactic battle between Heihachi and his son, Kazuya Mishima, resulted in the latter tossing his father into a pit of lava atop an active volcano. After the fight, Harada and other Tekken fans claimed that the leader of the Mishima Clan was completely dead. However, Heihachi's time in the grave was short-lived, as he was confirmed to return in Tekken 8 as the Autumn 2024 fighter of the Playable Character Year 1 Pass.

tekken 8 player spammed with emails from playstation
PlayStation Gamer Spammed With Tekken 8 Emails

PlayStation spams Tekken 8 player with the same email every single day, resulting in a barrage of jokes from the game's community.

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Thankfully, Tekken 8 players will not have to wait too much longer to play as the series' beloved villain. Starting October 1, Tekken 8 Playable Character Year 1 Pass holders will have early access to Heihachi Mishima as a playable fighter following a content update. Tekken 8 players who did not purchase the character pass will only have to wait a few days to play as Heihachi, as his official release as a DLC fighter begins October 4. The arrival of Heihachi Mishima in Tekken 8 was revealed in a gameplay trailer that showed the fan-favorite nemesis in action against various Tekken characters. Unsurprisingly, the banter between Heihachi and his son made light of their previous encounter, with Heihachi remarking that it would take more than a pool of lava to stop him.

When Is Heihachi Mishima Coming to Tekken 8?

  • Tuesday, October 1 (Early Access Via Year 1 Character Pass DLC)
  • Friday, October 4 (Official Release)

In the trailer, Heihachi showed off various combos against characters such as Lidia Sobieska and Eddy Gordo, who are also available in Tekken 8's character pass. Heihachi will have four costumes to pick from, including his signature black gi as the default option. A new battle stage called Genmaji Temple will be available as DLC, and a free story update called "Forgotten Echoes" will be included once Heihachi arrives in early October.

With Heihachi back from the dead, Tekken 8's current character pass only has its Winter character left to unveil. It remains to be seen how Heihachi will assert himself in the Tekken 8 meta against other formidable foes.

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Tekken 8 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Tekken 8
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Fighting
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
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Released
January 26, 2024
ESRB
t
Developer(s)
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco.  Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles.  Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet.  Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.

Franchise
Tekken
Genre(s)
Fighting
PS Plus Availability
N/A