Tekken 8 Season 3 Promises to Address Season 2’s Missteps

Season 3 for Tekken 8 has been revealed by Bandai Namco and in an effort to prevent a similar misstep from the previous season, the studio is making sure this update is utilizing a "back to basics" type of approach with its content, balance adjustments, and new characters. Tekken 8 has continued to evolve and grown from its launch state through countless patches and updates, new content being added, and already 2 seasons worth of characters joining the roster.

However, over the past 2 years, Tekken 8 has already experienced plenty of ups and downs since it launched. The game got off to a major start, selling extremely well in the first month, followed by a first season that included many fan favorite additions like Eddy Gordo and Heihachi Mishima. However, things took an unfortunate turn for Season 2, as Bandai Namco introduced a number of controversial changes to Tekken 8, leaving players incensed and forcing the studio to make a quick pivot. With Season 3 on the horizon, Bandai Namco has seemingly learned its lesson.

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By Sarah Fields

Tekken 8 Season 3 Content and Release Dates

Starting next week on February 9, Tekken 8 fans can pick up the Season 3 Pass, which includes 4 new characters launching throughout 2026. For Season 3, Tekken 8 is looking into its past, starting off with the return of the ninja Kunimitsu from Tekken 7 sometime in late Spring, a character that's also based on her mother who dates all the way back to the original game in the series. Not much was shown off for Kunimitsu, outside some footage from previous games as well as what appears to be her stage entrance and new look that includes a flame scarf.

While fighting games typically wait to announce DLC characters until closer to their release, Tekken 8 didn't hold back after revealing Kunimitsu. Also joining the veteran fighter are two additional legacy characters, with Bob launching sometime in the summer, and the fighting Kangaroo, Roger Jr, set for an Autumn launch. Beyond that, the trailer teases a mystery character for the Winter alongside a brand-new stage. As expected, fans who pick up the Season 3 Pass will get 120 hours of Early Access as well as the Aurora Outfit Pack, a total of 44 in-game costumes for the entire roster which appear to add chroma-style effects.

For many fans, the biggest piece of Season 3 launches on March 10 with the balance adjustment update. As the trailer indicates, this adjustment is intended to be more "focused" and "conventional" as well as the complete opposite of the controversies that erupted with Season 2 of Tekken 8. In fact, player backlash was so strong for many of the changes made during Season 2 that it took Bandai Namco months to fix the problems through various updates and also completely replacing the balance team.

For season 3, Bandai Namco isn't making sweeping changes to the current battle system, choosing to refine and make adjustments that continue to respect "each character’s concept, strengths, and weaknesses." Bandai Namco is also launching a feedback portal where players can submit issues, bugs, and other types of feedback directly to the development team. The full patch notes and balance details are planned for release on March 17.

In addition to the new content, Tekken 8 will be kicking off its second anniversary from February 9 to March 15. The in-game shop will be discounting various cosmetics by 50% over the course of the 5 weeks, along with special customization item packs that players can download for free during the distribution period.

Interestingly enough, Season 3 will be the start of a new era for the Tekken franchise as a whole. In a surprise announcement late last year, the now former Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada announced his retirement and departure from Bandai Namco. Harada has been synonymous with the Tekken franchise for the past 30 years, also serving as the face of the franchise alongside producer Michael Murray, with both typically appearing at events and showing off new trailers to fans. While Harada previously hinted at a Tekken 9 likely being his last, certain events in 2025, such as the passing of Tomonobu Itagaki have seemingly had a profound effect on the creator, shifting his perspective.

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