Tekken 8 Confirmed To Be Skipping Denuvo DRM For PC

Tekken is a well-known fighting game IP, with the latest release having sold over 10 million units. The upcoming title, Tekken 8, is expected to release in early 2024, and Bandai Namco recently conducted a closed network test for the game.

Unfortunately, the game showed shader compilation stutters on PC, hinting that it may end up as another poor PC port. Still, the studio has recently released a positive bit of information about Tekken 8 on PC.

According to Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken 8 will not include Denuvo DRM on PC.

Why it matters: Denuvo is known to affect the performance of a game, leading to negative reception whenever it is used in a Steam release.

this EULA is probably simply a copy/paste of TEKKEN7 or something (I'm not a registered this but sure).
Anyway, I’ve no plans to introduce Denuvo or anything else in TEKKEN8, so stop your tedious allergic reactions to every single thing & sit quietly (sit the hell down). https://t.co/oT1Wj9VTpd

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) August 7, 2023

Recently, the Tekken 8 Steam page description led to concerns about Denuvo DRM being included in the game. The previous game also came with the DRM, but many had hoped this would not be the case for the upcoming title.

However, Katsuhiro Harada quickly clarified that the description appears to be copy pasted from the last game’s store page. He then confirmed that Bandai Namco has no plans to include Denuvo in Tekken 8.

Problem occurred in "TEKKEN7 for PC". that the frame rate drops when hits such as Akuma's "Shakunetsu Hadouken".
Since it's not a problem of graphics & CPU processing, it will not solve even if changing PC setting (problem with encryption program).
We'll fix Soon. Sorry Plz wait.

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 13, 2018

As reported by Harada, Denuvo led to performance issues in Tekken 7. The DRM was also removed from the game several years later, which has become a common practice for many studios in the industry.

While many games continue to include the DRM, studios have increasingly begun to remove it after the initial release period. Capcom has previously done the same for Resident Evil Village.

Denuvo is disliked by PC users for its performance impact. Recently, the company has claimed that the DRM does not lead to noticeable performance hits and hopes to prove this point. Still, PC gamers remain unconvinced.

While the lack of Denuvo is good news for Tekken fans, the game’s PC port does not inspire much confidence. Bandai Namco and the developers claim that the network test was based on a very early build, leading to hopes for improvements by launch.

However, it would not be surprising to see the game launch with shader compilation stutters, considering how common the issue has become with Unreal Engine games in recent years.