Can Season 3 save Tekken 8? Execs give their ideas

2026 is a giant 12 months for the Preventing Recreation Group with all of the titles releasing, and it guarantees to be a decisive 12 months for Tekken 8. Whereas it launched comparatively properly, Tekken 8 had issues with being too closely skewed to aggression and missing defensive choices. 

This solely received worse as the sport continued to chug on, however Bandai Namco has revealed its plans for Tekken 8 Season 3. Coming with the intention to place Tekken again on observe, it has been billed as ‘again to fundamentals’. 

The modifications have been listed intimately in a Tekken 8 Season 3 roadmap overview within the information part of the sport’s web site, and it appears largely optimistic. Nonetheless, many professionals and influential gamers have been vocal about Tekken 8’s shortcomings, so what has been the response to Season 3’s deliberate modifications?

Earlier than moving into gamers’ reactions, it’s essential to know what’s coming to the sport. After all, there will likely be a Tekken 8 Season 3 move, which provides Kunimistu, Bob, Roger Jr., and a personality for the winter that’s but to be added. 

A suggestions portal has been offered to make sure the builders are listening to the group, and it’s clear that Bandai Namco has its ear to the bottom in relation to Tekken after the mess of Season 2. The Tekken 8 Season 3 patch notes ought to mirror this.

With that apart, what do the professionals and influential gamers, those that know the sport most intimately, consider the patch notes, and do they suppose it’s sufficient to get Tekken 8 again on observe?

Not all professionals are significantly vocal in regards to the Tekken, nor do all of them stream. A number of have taken to YouTube to present their ideas on each the trailer and roadmap, and we will likely be wanting on the following:

Lil Majin had maybe essentially the most subdued response to the Season 3 announcement, assembly all of it with scepticism. He didn’t appear all that bothered in regards to the new Tekken 8 Season 3 characters, aside from Kunimistu, who he stated he’d slightly not have. Lil Majin additionally appeared unswayed by the ‘again to fundamentals’ advertising, stating that, whereas there have been new strikes within the trailer, numerous what was proven is already within the sport.

He reiterated continuously that he wouldn’t formulate a full opinion till the patch notes and the steadiness replace on March 17. That is probably as a result of Season 2 went towards what many thought they might get, so Lil Majin’s scepticism is comprehensible. 

PhiDX’s response was very completely different to Lil Majin’s. He was very excited in regards to the new characters and acknowledged that the ‘again to fundamentals’ branding was good advertising and that he was hopeful. He additionally acknowledged that Tekken 8 had lied earlier than, with Season 2 not including defensive choices as promised. Nonetheless, he was excited in regards to the intention behind Tekken 8 Season 3 steadiness and the way Bandai is clearly listening to the group.

When analysing the roadmap, he praised the intention to make a personality’s strengths and weaknesses extra evident. Whereas PhiDX believed that Tekken 8 wouldn’t take away Warmth, the core tenets of the steadiness patch for Season 3 appeared to go over properly with him, as did the modifications to the ranked system, significantly the bonuses for rematch and revenge victories, which encourage Bo3 matches.

The scepticism got here when analysing the strikes seen within the trailer. PhiDX talked about Twitter’s preliminary response being that Tekken 8 goes within the unsuitable route based mostly on these strikes. Anna and Asuka seemingly have nerfs, and he talked about worry of how Season 3 would cope with ‘stance-slop’, mentioning Lidia and Victor. Nonetheless, the general consensus from PhiDX is that he’s cautiously optimistic in regards to the Tekken 8 Season 3 modifications.

Ok-Wiss spoke in regards to the Tekken 8 suggestions portal and the way it will probably be a greater various to the Twitter system at present in use. He additionally spoke on the modifications to the ranked system and the way, in Season 2, the system is extraordinarily harsh to gamers at God of Destruction. He stated that the rematch encouragement in Season 3 is a good suggestion, and that he hopes the brand new season may also assist with rank inflation.

He additionally spoke about how the matchmaking logic enhancements are a blessing, as the present prowess system implies that it’s tough to take a secondary character into ranked, particularly with wait instances. The system now matches gamers based mostly on their at present chosen character, not their primary character, making matchmaking for secondary characters simpler, particularly for higher-level gamers.

General, Ok-Wiss acknowledged he’s a giant fan of what’s being stated, however isn’t as a lot of a fan of what’s being proven. Having analysed the strikes within the trailer, he’s not totally satisfied that Tekken 8 Season 3 is definitely going again to fundamentals, citing the defence patch that by no means was in Season 2. 

TheMainManSwe is a really high-level participant with one of many largest audiences in Tekken and has proved equal components educated and comedically salty. He acknowledged that he would use the suggestions portal, and that it could possibly be a really great tool, joking that he would ship numerous messages about Hwoarang.

He acknowledged that modifications to the Rank System are sorely wanted. Whereas he believed the rank inflation challenge isn’t permitting casuals to make it to Tekken King, stating that casuals aren’t enjoying the sport anymore, he did converse on the harshness of God of Destruction rank and above. He acknowledged that nobody has reached the very best rank but and that solely professionals can realistically climb as a result of flaws and harshness of the system on the highest degree, whereas there’s handholding not a lot decrease down.

TheMainMan additionally spoke on how, regardless of the theme being ‘refine’, he would really like some pleasure from new strikes as a part of the brand new season. He agreed with the general philosophy for Tekken 8 Season 3 steadiness, particularly with the point out of character-specific power-up mechanics (installs) and the Warmth system. 

Finally, his total ideas align with Ok-Wiss’s, stating that the Tekken 8 Season 3 modifications sound good on paper, however could possibly be something in observe after the ‘catastrophe’ that was Season 2.

General, the consensus of the Tekken 8 Season 3 roadmap is optimistic, however with the patch not coming till March, scepticism is rife after the mess of Season 2. Theoretically, the modifications are good on paper, however the Tekken group has been burned earlier than with false guarantees, and whereas many are hopeful it will put the sport again on observe, that isn’t a given.

Nonetheless, there’s some hope that this will likely be a turning level, on condition that Tekken 8 has acknowledged the complaints and is seemingly on an apology tour for Season 2. Not all professionals have been as analytical and vocal about Tekken information, though one of many sport’s greats, Knee, has acknowledged that Tekken 8 is just not enjoyable. Hopefully, Season 3 can change that.