- Tekken 8 initially received positive reviews across the board.
- The fighting game has received thousands of negative reviews on Steam, making the recent reviews mostly negative.
- Players are frustrated by Bandai Namco’s monetization, the refusal to address quitting in ranked matches, and more.
Tekken 8 has seemingly lost all the goodwill it developed at launch. Following an explosive launch and 2 million sales, the game was off to a great start.
It seemed to be a worthy successor to Tekken 7, keeping the combat fresh with a major graphics overhaul and heat mechanics. However, a few months after its release, Bandai Namco flooded the title with microtransactions.
Players have not been happy with this decision, dropping negative reviews on Steam left and right.
Why it matters: Like Tekken 7, the game is expected to be supported for many years with new characters and balance changes. However, its unpopularity so early on is concerning.
According to Steam, Tekken 8 received over 3,600 reviews in the last 30 days. However, over 61% or more than 2000 of these reviews are negative. Overall, reviews are still positive, but the recent reviews are mostly negative.
The reviews point to the fact that Bandai Namco has progressively made the game worse with each update. The publisher started with a cosmetic microtransaction shop but eventually introduced a Battle Pass in the mix.
Furthermore, Steam reviews highlight the fact that players can’t lab DLC characters like Eddy Gordo without purchasing them. We would also like to point out that it’s odd to see a prominent character like Eddy being relegated to DLC despite his status as a series mainstay.
Others have been upset with the recent changes to matchmaking. Elsewhere, Bandai Namco has yet to address the problem of plugging, an issue that has existed since Tekken 7.
Such practices are not entirely new for Bandai Namco.
Players who were around for Tekken 7’s entire lifespan may remember a similar plugging problem, overpowered DLC characters like Leroy and Fahkumram, and the publisher’s decision to sell frame data as DLC.
However, these were gradually introduced in the last game. Meanwhile, Tekken 8 has made these changes one after another, leading to a net negative impact on the game all at once.
Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔
[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
