The franchise’s long-time director, Katsuhiro Harada, is probably at his wits end trying to find out the ones responsible for all the Tekken 8 leaks.
Shortly after privy details about Tekken 8 leaked ahead of EVO 2023, the internet is as it again, telling us things that the game’s developers, Bandai Namco, have tried so hard to keep a secret.
These leaks, courtesy of an anonymous 4chan user, have confirmed several character intros and a treasure trove of new information about the game’s mechanics and roster.
Tekken 8 character portraits, newcomer movesets and special intros, along with hints at Marduk being in the game have been datamined
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The most noteworthy reveal points to the fact that, contrary to prior suspicions, the previously leaked character roster’s authenticity. It seems Bandai Namco tried to play coy, encrypting character IDs with playful animal names. For example, Jin is ANT and Law is PIG, among others. It also appears that special intros are included in Tekken 8, like Bryan’s interaction with Yoshimitsu, which is a delightful nod to their legendary confrontations in Tekken 5.
Moreover, the latest leak is a gut punch to Heihachi fans – it seems like Tekken 8 will put him to rest for good. One of a handful of newcomers, Reina, who’s said to be a secret, illegitimate third child, is being groomed to fill Heihachi’s sizable shoes, signaling the Mishima patriarch’s irrevocable exit.
Finally, the leak claims that Tekken 8 will feature an electrifying showdown between Jin and Devil Kazuya in the rain, a scene already teased in one of the game’s cinematic trailers. It’s claimed that this could serve as the climactic end of the game’s story mod. Unfortunately, the nature of Reina’s alliance remains a mystery. But, her special intro with Kazuya hints at a potentially bitter meeting with her presumed half-brother.
All told, it appears that Bandai is trying to tie the franchise’s long history more closely than ever before.
Despite the abundance of information, there are glaring omissions to the leaked Tekken 8 roster. Where are Victor, Leo, Dragunov, or Kuma? And what of Lidia? Her voice actor’s playful demeanor during a Polish interview suggests she may return. Given the amount of effort that the Tekken 7 team put into creating Lidia, complete with heartfelt gestures to long-time fans, it feels like a waste not to bring her back.
Going back to the topic of Reina, Heihachi’s relationship with his supposedly illegitimate child raises questions. If she’s a fighter every bit as ferocious as the warmonger, this suggests a close bond between them. Heihachi’s relationship with his kin, particularly Kazuya, and his father, Jinpachi, have been central to Tekken.
The later games, in particular, tried to justify Heihachi’s actions, making him a more nuanced villain than just a straight-up bad father. While he has certain irredeemable qualities, Tekken 7’s story reveals Heihachi did actually love his wife, Kazumi, and their son, Kazuya. However, it was later shown that the Hachijo Clan, which Kazumi belongs to, had made a deal with the still-to-be-elaborated Devil, to help them take down Heihachi and prevent him from taking over the world.
In a nutshell, Heihachi killed Kazumi because the Devil Gene had taken over her and he later attempted to do the same to a 7-year-old Kazuya by throwing him into a volcano because he feared its power.
But, if Reina fights similarly to Heihachi, Bandai Namco might be trying to show us a different side of the now-deceased progenitor of the Mishima Fighting Style Karate. Could Heihachi have been a doting father, selectively shielding Reina from his world’s treachery? Or will Bandai double down on Heihachi’s villainy and somehow use her as yet another pawn in his grand design? Or, maybe he was a little bit of both?
With the Tokyo Game Show scheduled for late September and another PlayStation Showcase rumored anytime between now and the next few weeks, we might get an official release date for Tekken 8 sooner rather than later.
Hopefully, by then, the new trailers and character reveals will shed more light about the game’s story and still-unrevealed fighters.
In the meantime, PC gamers looking forward to Tekken 8 can celebrate knowing that it will not come with DRM software.
