A video regarding Tekken 8's Closed Network Test has teased the return of Claudio Serafino, a fighter who was first introduced in Tekken 7. Bandai Namco's 3D fighting game has been getting plenty of attention throughout 2023, where the roster of Tekken 8's fighters has been slowly revealed in the past few months. Of the characters revealed, these include mainstays like the infamous father-son archenemies Jin Kazuma and Kazuya Mishima, returning fan favorites from classic titles like Hwoarang and Bryan Fury, and even recent additions like Leroy Smith from Tekken 7. Players will get a chance to try the currently revealed roster, along with one more fighter, in the upcoming Closed Network Test.The Closed Network Test for Tekken 8 was first leaked near the end of May, where this update was found on SteamDB, a site that keeps track of the Steam database. This application was called the "Tekken 8 Playtest," which got fans excited about getting the chance to try out these characters and the new mechanics introduced in the eighth entry. Bandai Namco has put out the official announcement video for the playtest, which also teases the reveal of another character, Claudio Serafino.This video for Tekken 8 starts off with some of the revealed roster, along with some of their special attack animations, and even some special matchup intros depending on who is fighting in a match. It also announces the date of when the Closed Network Test starts: July 21, 2023. Near the very end, however, after a brief rundown of the available fighters, it gives fans the first look at Claudio, summoning a circle of light around him.
Claudio Serafino was one of Tekken 7's first newcomers, hailing from Italy as the leader of the Archers of Sirius. He also has the title of being "the world's strongest exorcist," having been contacted by Heihachi Mishima to help subdue his son's devil form. With Claudio's return in Tekken 8, he could possibly tie into the events of the game's story, especially since fellow light power user and spirit purifier Jun Kazuma is also in the game.
The Closed Network Test itself will be used to monitor the online gameplay experience of Tekken 8, with all 16 characters that have been revealed so far, including the aforementioned Claudio, being playable. The playtest will be available in two waves, with the first one being early access on PS5 (July 21-24, 2023), and the other on all three platforms it will launch on with crossplay (July 28-31, 2023). Players will need to first sign up for these tests, with codes being given out to each winner in the future.
Tekken 8 is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.