The arena is set, the fighters ready, and the crowd is restless in anticipation. EVO 2023 has turned into a spectacle, more than just a series of tournaments – it's a battleground for revelations and surprises that capture the beating heart of the fighting game community. But this year, among the fevered hype and deafening applause, two shadows loom larger than all: Raven and Azucena, the newly revealed combatants for Bandai Namco's Tekken 8.
The fighting game universe has always pulsated with the energy of competition and the vivid palette of characters, each bringing their own unique flavor to the combat. And 2023 is proving to be a tempestuous year in this realm. From the release of Capcom's Street Fighter 6, lauded widely for its innovation, to the highly anticipated launch of Mortal Kombat 1 this September, the fighting game aficionado has much to rejoice about. But the anticipation doesn't end there.
As EVO 2023 - the grandest stage of them all in the world of fighting games - surged forward, breaking its attendance records, it also became the ground zero for a revelation that set the Tekken universe abuzz.
Raven, the enigmatic secret agent ninja representing the United Nations, is no stranger to the Tekken franchise. Making a stunning debut in Tekken 5, Raven garnered a fanbase enamored by his ninjutsu techniques and his finesse. While his shadow, quite literally, was cast by Master Raven in Tekken 7, Tekken 8 sees the return of the original.
