Summary
- Tekken 8's March update adds new items and a unique Ghost vs. Ghost feature.
- Season 2 plans include balance adjustments, new characters, and Ghost showdown events.
- Players can defeat Special Ghosts for limited-time character panel rewards.
Tekken 8 has received a new update for March, marking the last one before the start of the second season. The update adds new items to the store and introduces a new feature involving Ghosts, AI-controlled characters that learn based on the player's actions. The Tekken 8 patch is now available across all systems, but Bandai warns that all replay data before the update will be deleted if players update the game.
Launched in January 2024, the fighting game has received constant updates, improving gameplay systems, adding new features, and, most importantly, expanding the Tekken 8 roster with new characters. The first season introduced fighters like Eddy Gordo, Lidia Sobieska, Heihachi, and Final Fantasy 16 protagonist Clive Rosfield. Before the end of the season, producer Katsuhiro Harada shared future plans for Tekken 8, some of which have already been implemented, such as a photo mode and new customization features.
Tekken 8 Passes Impressive Sales Milestone
Following its Season 2 Character Pass announcement, Bandai Namco reveals that Tekken 8 has achieved an impressive sales milestone.
The latest Tekken 8 update, titled v1.13, is now available. It marks the final update of the game's first season. Patch v1.13 adds a new costume for Heihachi, an option to hide player information on avatars, and, most importantly, a new feature involving Ghost Vs. Ghost battles. In Tekken 8's Lounge, players can interact with others and select the "Battle Ghosts" option to pit their Ghosts against other players' Ghosts, then observe their performance after choosing one of three combat styles. Future updates for the feature are already on the horizon.
From now until April 1, the official launch of Tekken 8's second season, players will find Five Special Ghosts in the lobby. Those who defeat them will earn character panels featuring five fan art designs created during the "TEKKEN FANDOM campaign." These Special Ghosts will be available for a limited time, as the next update will introduce five new Ghosts, possibly with new rewards.
One of the future updates for Tekken 8 promised by Harada is a major balance adjustment planned for multiple characters. The v1.13 patch notes don't include any adjustments but confirm that these are scheduled for the next major update on April 1. Players interested in getting a glimpse of what to expect from Tekken 8's second season can tune in to the next "TEKKEN Talk Live event," scheduled for March 23 at 8 PM PDT.
For now, the only confirmed update for the start of the second season is the addition of fan-favorite Anna Williams. Upon her reveal, Anna faced fan backlash over her design, which the producer promptly addressed. As of now, Nina's sister is the only fighter confirmed for the second season pass. If it follows the same model as the first, three more fighters will likely be added to Tekken 8's roster, with at least one or two potentially being guest characters.
Tekken 8 Patch Notes v1.13
Application Date and Time
[JST] From around 11:00 on Tuesday, March 11th, applied sequentially
[CET] From around 3:00 on Tuesday, March 11th, applied sequentially
[PDT] From around 19:00 on Monday, March 10th, applied sequentially
Maintenance Date and Time
[JST] Tuesday, March 11th, 10:30 – 15:00
[CET] Tuesday, March 11th, 2:30 – 7:00
[PDT] Monday, March 10th, 18:30 – 23:00
Note:
Please note that the date and time may change without prior notice.
All online content will be unavailable during maintenance.
Impact of the Update
The application of the update data will affect the following modes and features:
“DOWNLOADED REPLAYS” / “MY REPLAY & TIPS”
Replay data from before the update will no longer be playable.
“ONLINE REPLAY”
All replay data from before the update will be deleted.
The details of the update are as follows:
“TEKKEN SHOP”
“Heihachi Costume 01” Added
- Revival Costume for Playable Character “Heihachi”
“TEKKEN SPECIAL DEAL” Available
- Selected items available at special prices during the event period.
“TEKKEN FIGHT LOUNGE”
Added “Ghost vs. Ghost” Feature
- What is a Ghost?: An AI-learned replica of the player that grows based on battle actions
- Added a new feature allowing battles between the player’s Ghost and other players’ Ghosts in the Lounge
- By talking to another player in the Lounge and selecting “Battle Ghosts,” players can initiate a match
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Before the battle, players can choose one of the following three strategies, which alter the Ghost’s behavior even if using the same Ghost:
- AGGRESSIVE: A combat style focused on offense
- DEFENSIVE: A combat style focused on defense
- BALANCE: A combat style balancing offense and defense
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The “Ghost vs. Ghost” feature will continue to receive updates according to the following schedule:
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March (v1.13):
- Implementation of the “Ghost vs. Ghost” feature
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May (v2.01):
- Addition of features such as Ghost data deletion and AI learning ON/OFF toggle
- Opening of “TEKKEN GHOST SHOWDOWN” within “TEKKEN FIGHT LOUNGE”
- “TEKKEN GHOST SHOWDOWN” will be available real-time battles between player-trained Ghosts
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June (v2.02):
- Implementation of a feature allowing players to give commands to AI Ghosts during “Ghost vs. Ghost” battles
- Implementation of a feature enabling AI Ghosts to learn and refine their behavior based on player evaluations during “Ghost vs. Ghost” battles
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March (v1.13):
Five Special Ghosts Appearing with Obtainable Character Panels
- Defeat Special Ghosts in battle to obtain one character panel per victory
- Character panels feature five fan art designs collected from the “TEKKEN FANDOM Campaign”
- Special Ghosts will appear in the lobby until just before maintenance for the next update scheduled on Tuesday, April 1st
- In the next update, these Special Ghosts will be replaced with five new ones
Option to Hide Player Information Displayed on Avatars
- Added a “Hide” option to the player information toggle, which can be switched by pressing [R3/Right Stick/N]
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Player information can now be cycled in the following order:
- “TEKKEN 8” in-game player name ⇒ Platform account name ⇒ TEKKEN ID ⇒ (NEW) Hide ⇒ Player name
“PLAYABLE CHARACTERS”
Character Move Behavior Fixes and Balance Adjustments
- As a major balance adjustment is planned for the “Season 2” update on Tuesday, April 1st, no balance adjustments will be implemented in v1.13, which precedes this update.
- The latest information on Season 2 will be announced in the upcoming “TEKKEN Talk Live” events.
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
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
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
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
