Image: Bandai Namco
Tekken 8 will launch with a new Arcade Quest mode and 32 playable fighters, with more to be added post-release.
Developers Bandai Namco and Arika had a big reveal for Gamescom 2023: Tekken 8 will officially release on all platforms on January 26, 2024. The highly-anticipated fighting game also showed off a new singleplayer mode called Arcade Quest that looks a lot like Street Fighter 6’s Battle Hub, along with more additions to the fighting roster.
Watch the reveal below:
Tekken 8 has been drip feeding information on its playable roster to players for months now, but it looks like the wait is almost over. The game will launch with 32 playable fighters all in all, including returning characters like Yoshimitsu, Duragnov, Leo, Steve Fox, Shaheen and more confirmed from the above trailer. Future DLC add-ons will bring even more fighters to the roster over time.
The fighting game is also introducing a new singleplayer mode called Arcade Quest, which allows players to create their own characters - though they won't be quite as detailed as the roster’s own character models. This mode seems to work a lot like Street Fighter 6’s Battle Hub, allowing players to either progress through a tournament on their own or challenge others using virtual arcade cabinets. You’ll also be able to customise your fighters with a variety of cosmetics.
Tekken 8’s story campaign will see Jin Kazama face off with his father Kazuya Mishima in what is set to be their final battle. The story takes place six months after the events of Tekken 7, with Jin wanting to kill Kazuya once and for all while his mother, Jun Kazama, returns to make the family feud even more complex. The rest of the roster will inevitably get involved in their conflict, though it seems like an intimate affair so far.
Tekken 8 launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on January 26, 2024.