5 instructions Tekken can go in 2026

Earlier this month, Tekken Director Katsuhiro Harada introduced his retirement, ending nearly 30 years of service with Bandai Namco’s Tekken sequence. First voicing characters Kunimitsu, Regulation, and Yoshimitsu within the first two video games, earlier than turning into a producer on the following titles, his affect has been enormous on the sequence.

With Tekken 8 going by way of a tough patch, as a result of launch of Season 2 earlier this 12 months, which overpowered many assaults and in addition cheapened the story by bringing again Heihachi Mishima, followers have been up in arms in regards to the sequence recently. Nonetheless, with Harada leaving on the finish of the month, listed here are 5 issues Bandai Namco can do for the sequence within the close to future.

The 2 Tekken Tag video games are well-loved by gamers, as they bring about nearly each character within the sequence collectively in a single recreation and permit gamers to manage two characters in a match due to a tag system. The final recreation, 2011’s Tekken Tag 2, was a implausible recreation that featured nearly 60 characters, in addition to the return of Tekken 3’s Tekken Ball Mode for the Wii U model. Regardless of the sport not promoting in addition to Bandai Namco anticipated, we will’t assist however really feel {that a} new Tekken Tag recreation can be a smash hit for a 2026 viewers.

Followers like it when characters long-forgotten make an overdue comeback – the earlier Tekken Tag video games thrived on this. To have a brand new entry work off the Tekken 8 engine, and maybe have it come to Nintendo Change 2 to herald the sequence’ debut on the platform, might be a good way to service some followers who really feel let down by Tekken 8 Season 2’s modifications.

If Bandai Namco is following its timetable with how earlier seasons have been launched for Tekken 7, we’re more likely to see Tekken 8’s Season 3 introduced early subsequent 12 months. However with the modifications which might be nonetheless current within the recreation, due to Season 2’s errors, it might be helpful for Season 3 to retcon some story beats, in addition to herald some fan-favourite characters.

For starters, Heihachi’s reappearance after his demise in Tekken 7 felt very low cost, not helped by the truth that he’s a part of Season 2’s DLC. As a substitute, he ought to be rewritten as a picture, a projection made by Ogre or Azazael, and he’s, actually, nonetheless useless. The stability patch also needs to be reverted to the way it was earlier than Season 2, in addition to bringing again some characters like Kunimitsu, Physician B, and Ganryu.

Though Bandai Namco has dipped its toe in a number of films, each live-action and anime, it looks like a missed alternative that the corporate hasn’t totally dedicated to the sequence by way of different media. From comics to a Netflix sequence, the Mishima story might be given much more depth for gamers to get pleasure from if it expanded outdoors of the mainline video games.

Think about a two-season anime sequence that delves into the early days of Heihachi and Kazumi, or what actually occurred to Jun Kazama between Tekken 3 and Tekken 8. As well as, comics that inform tales of different characters who’ve been sidelined or have disappeared just lately. From Kunimitsu to Ganryu, it may give much more depth to those and assist progress the general story till the inevitable Tekken 9 arrives.

With loads of remakes in recent times, from Resident Evil 2 to the upcoming Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, the identical efforts haven’t been seen within the combating recreation style. Granted, we’ve seen remasters, like Tekken Tag HD in 2011 and Lifeless or Alive 1 & 2 Final in 2004, however not full-blown remakes.

With this in thoughts, Bandai Namco ought to contemplate remaking the sequence’s hottest entry, 1998’s Tekken 3. Hold the identical variety of characters from the unique, however remake each stage, each mode, together with Tekken Ball mode. Moreover, function a Picture Mode and a strategy to change between trendy and traditional graphics. This may be an ideal strategy to introduce new gamers to a earlier entry, in addition to deliver again Tekken 3 to older gamers.

It’s baffling that Tekken has but to seem on a Nintendo Change console. Since its 2017 debut, Bandai Namco has refused to deliver out a port of Tekken for the Change, and it’s by no means defined why. Contemplating the console has grow to be an excellent dwelling for loads of combating video games, comparable to Marvel vs. Capcom, Avenue Fighter 6, and extra, Tekken’s absence looks like a giant oversight.

This mindset from Bandai Namco ought to change. To begin, a Tekken Assortment can be nice. This might embrace a port of the Tekken Tag 2 Wii U model, full with its unique Mario and Luigi objects just like the Tremendous Mushroom. As well as, a ‘GOTY’ launch of Tekken 8 can be nice, giving gamers on the spot entry to a bunch of gamers and modes, in addition to having crossplay assist. These efforts can be a good way to finish Change house owners feeling overlooked for thus a few years.