Bandai Namco is slowly but surely revealing all of the playable characters available in Tekken 8 with dedicated trailers. A couple of weeks ago, the publisher showcased Nina Williams, and today, we’re getting our first look at Kazuya Mishima.
As franchise fans should know, Kazuya is one of the most important characters throughout the whole IP, having appeared in all games except Tekken 3 (where he was featured in a cameo). The son of Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya was abused since he was a boy and seeks revenge against his father, although he also seeks world domination. He has the Devil gene and can transform into Devil Kazuya. Kazuya is also the father of another mainstay of the Tekken roster: Jin Kazama. The conflict between Jin and Kazuya will be central to Tekken 8, as Jin wants to rid the world of the evil caused by the Mishimas.
Tekken 8, in development with Unreal Engine 5, was announced during the September 2022 State of Play for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X. The developers have stated that all the character models are completely new and remade from Tekken 7. Gameplay will reportedly reward aggressive fighting, while a new Heat gauge system should mix things up. Stage destruction is also said to be plentyful.
The following playable characters have been confirmed for Tekken 8 so far:
- Jin Kazama / Devil Jin
- Jack-8
- Jun Kazama
- Kazuya Mishima / Devil Kazuya
- King II
- Lars Alexandersson
- Marshall Law
- Nina Williams
- Paul Phoenix
The game has no release date yet, though Bandai Namco has hinted to investors that Tekken 8 is expected to be released within the next fiscal year (by March 2024). If the game was to be released this year, 2023 would be a memorable year for fighting game fans, who’re also set to get Street Fighter 6 on June 2nd.
