Can Season 3 save Tekken 8? Pros give their thoughts

2026 is an enormous 12 months for the Fighting Game Community 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 obtained 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 monitor, it has been billed as ‘again to fundamentals’. 

The adjustments 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 constructive. 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 adjustments?

Earlier than moving into gamers’ reactions, it’s essential to know what’s coming to the sport. In fact, there will likely be a Tekken 8 Season 3 cross, 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 neighborhood, and it’s clear that Bandai Namco has its ear to the bottom in terms of Tekken after the mess of Season 2. The Tekken 8 Season 3 patch notes ought to replicate 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 monitor?

Not all professionals are significantly vocal in regards to the Tekken, nor do all of them stream. A couple of have taken to YouTube to provide their ideas on each the trailer and roadmap, and we will likely be trying 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, apart from Kunimistu, who he stated he’d slightly not have. Lil Majin additionally appeared unswayed by the ‘again to fundamentals’ advertising and marketing, stating that, whereas there have been new strikes within the trailer, plenty of what was proven is already within the sport.

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

PhiDX’s reaction was very completely different to Lil Majin’s. He was very excited in regards to the new characters and said that the ‘again to fundamentals’ branding was good advertising and marketing and that he was hopeful. He additionally said 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 neighborhood.

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 adjustments 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 improper course based mostly on these strikes. Anna and Asuka seemingly have nerfs, and he talked about concern of how Season 3 would take care of ‘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 adjustments.

K-Wiss spoke about the Tekken 8 feedback portal and the way it will possible be a greater different to the Twitter system presently in use. He additionally spoke on the adjustments 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 can even 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 troublesome to take a secondary character into ranked, particularly with wait occasions. The system now matches gamers based mostly on their presently chosen character, not their important character, making matchmaking for secondary characters simpler, particularly for higher-level gamers.

General, Okay-Wiss said he’s an enormous 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 completely 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 elements educated and comedically salty. He said that he would use the suggestions portal, and that it could possibly be a really great tool, joking that he would ship plenty of messages about Hwoarang.

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

TheMainMan additionally spoke on how, regardless of the theme being ‘refine’, he would love 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 general ideas align with Okay-Wiss’s, stating that the Tekken 8 Season 3 adjustments sound good on paper, however could possibly be something in apply after the ‘disaster’ that was Season 2.

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

Nonetheless, there may be some hope that this will likely be a turning level, provided 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 stated that Tekken 8 is simply not fun. Hopefully, Season 3 can change that.