Tekken 8 might be around the corner for diehard fans of the series.
Last weekend, the FGC community came together to compete and celebrate their love for fighting games at EVO 2022, held in Las Vegas, USA.
Tekken is one of the major franchises featured in the multi-game tournament, and Bandai Namco Entertainment took the opportunity to address their community after Bae “Knee” Jae-min was crowned EVO 2022 T7 champion.
The announcement gave details about a free update on August 17 and the TWT 2022 Finals, but fans were in for an even bigger surprise. Right at the end, Bandai Namco displayed a short teaser of an untitled Tekken project, so what could it actually be?
Our speculations on the new Tekken project teased at EVO 2022
Could it be a remake of Tekken 1?
The teaser showed Kazuya Mishima’s ending in the first Tekken game, where he drops daddy Heihachi off a cliff. The scene has since become a motif in the entire Tekken story, with Tekken 7 even ending on the same cliffhanger.
From the looks of it, the Tekken team might be hinting at a remake of the first title as a standalone game or a DLC for T7. This could mean retro skins for classic characters like King and Paul as well as a new game mode that brings back T1’s fight mechanics. No more corkscrews for you.
- DRX Knee wins EVO 2022 in true Tekken fashion by beating up a 2.5D character
- Arslan Ash proves that he’s still a Tekken god at Combo Breaker 2022
Tekken Tag Tournament 3 is a possibility
It’s been almost 10 years since the last Tekken Tag Tournament, and newer fans might have never heard of the tag-based version of the fighting game.
The developers changed how people play the game in Tekken 7 by introducing Rage moves and adding guest 2.5D and weapon-based characters. If they happen to slot in the same roster with the tag mechanic, it would still feel like a new, yet familiar experience.
With the Tekken Bloodline anime coming out on August 18, there’s a chance for them to reintroduce Jun Kazama as an actual fighter. Since Jin’s mom is canonically dead, the only way for them to bring her back is through Tag Tournament, which is considered to be a spin-off of the Tekken franchise.
All roads lead to Tekken 8
The biggest speculation about the teaser is that the Tekken team is gearing up for the eighth installment of the fighting game franchise.
Tekken 7 is the longest installment so far, clocking in seven years since its arcade release. This might be a sign that the developers will continue Kazuya’s story in a brand new main title. Fans were also quick to point out that the high-definition Kazuya was indeed present Kazuya because of the scars on his face.
While T7 kept fans engaged with DLCs and frequent updates, it lacked the classic story mode that provided unique endings based on your fighter. Looking at what Tekken 8 can bring to the table, there’s opportunity for the developers to flesh out multiple what-if storylines while continuing the legacy of Kazuya in Tekken 7.
It would be great if fans can play story mode, pick a fighter, and learn about their history rather than just playing whoever was in the scene. This would help bring back the idea that anyone can win the King of the Iron Fist tournament, even the break dancing J-pop star Lucky Chloe.
You can check out the full teaser of the new Tekken project down below:
Follow ONE Esports on Facebook and Twitter for more Tekken news, guides, and highlights.
READ MORE: Tekken World Tour 2022: Schedule, format, point system, how to register
