After a false start back and EVO 2022, fans now know that Tekken 8 is on the way, rather than a remake of a past game. Much like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 is going to mark a huge shake-up for the fighting game community after a console generation spent with just one entry. Neither game was static during its tenure, but Tekken 7 stubbornly resisted fundamental changes even when new mechanics were introduced. Tekken has historically seen little mechanical variety between entries, so a brand-new title is necessary for any major changes to take place.
At the moment, it's unclear what is different in Tekken 8. The fighting looks even more cinematic than it did in Tekken 7, but the caveat that footage was taken from the cinematic story mode makes all camera cuts suspect. All that can be said for sure is that Jin Kazama seems to have mastered his Devil Gene powers, and is using them to finally challenge his monstrous father Kazuya Mishima. With the potential for the ultimate clash between good and evil in Tekken 8, fans are excited to see more. However, one of the outdated guesses at Tekken 8's identity could hold value even after T8 has come and gone.
Fighting Game Remakes Are a Hard Sell
Fans weren't sure what to make of Tekken 8's reveal trailer at EVO 2022. It, and the developer actions around it, seemed to be the product of miscommunication. Among the various guesses at what Kazuya's Tekken 1 ending transitioning into an updated Kazuya model could mean, one line of thought was that T1 was getting a remake. This belief seems unfounded in retrospect, as Tekken 8 was the clear direction for the series’ story and gameplay to move in. There was no clear benefit to suddenly returning to Tekken 1, and the same can be said for many legacy fighting games.
Remaking video games has become fairly common nowadays, whether they're high profile projects like the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy or something more lowkey like Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series. Fighting games, apart from Street Fighter 2, have avoided the trend due to remakes being a poor fit for the genre. Fighters present an ever-evolving space, with greater expectations being placed on them now thanks to the rise of esports. Reverting to an older roster with revised versions of past systems would not be well-received, especially considering how much larger modern Tekken rosters are compared to the first few.
Tekken's Remake Could Follow Its Sister Series’ Example
However, another fighting game remake from Bandai Namco does reveal a potential path to success. Soul Calibur 6 is a soft reboot of the Soul Calibur franchise, returning to the Soul Calibur 1 timeframe just after Soul Edge. Many modern and new characters have been added to the roster, as well as plenty of new features like Reversal Edge and Soul Calibur's now-iconic custom characters. It's a completely different experience, but it does successfully channel nostalgia to support its new identity. This is the approach a Tekken 1 remake must take.
Tekken 8 has the real potential to bring Tekken's long-running story to a close. After that, whatever Bandai Namco wants to call the Tekken remake can set up a new entry during the era of Tekken 1. This would mean that Heihachi Mishima is alive and well, and a number of characters are unborn or too young to fight. Kazuya switches from villain to protagonist again, and gets to have a spruced up version of the first even fight with his father. Along the way, sensible roster additions like Jun Kazama could be introduced to bolster the tiny original cast. Tekken being what it is, the mechanics and look of the game would pick up right where Tekken 8 left off. It's a risky idea, but one that could pay dividends by introducing new fans to the best possible version of the original King of Iron Fist Tournament.
Tekken 8 is expected to come out in 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.