Tekken 8 is getting review-bombing again after season 3 repeated many of the same mistakes as last season. The latest in the classic fighting game franchise has experienced a rollercoaster ride since its release in 2024, with impressive highs offset by equally massive waves of fan backlash. Now, over two years on the road, Tekken 8 got into trouble again.
Things started looking strong for the game. After successful launch, Tekken 8 became one of the best-selling games of 2024, putting it in similar company Black Ops 6 and Helldivers 2. At the time, critics and fans alike showered the title with praise, but unfortunately, that acclaim didn't last. Controversy over microtransactions and balancing updates would give Tekken team in a less than desirable position, and while Bandai Namco promised to change things for the better, it hasn't turned out that way yet.
Tekken 8 Director Responds to Series 2 Backlash
Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada reacts to the backlash the fighting game is facing due to the changes made in the title's second season.
Fans review Bomb Tekken 8 after Season 3 repeats Season 2's balancing mistakes
Released by Bandai Namco Tekken 8The March 17 Season 3 update promised to right the wrongs of the game's disastrous Season 2, but things didn't go as planned. On the same day, the title received 243 negative reviews compared to only 26 positive ones. The negative feedback outweighs the positive every day since it delivers, often by a wide margin Tekken 8Recent reviews on Steam have dropped to “Mostly Negative”, with only 24% of 1,242 reviews in the last 30 days being positive at the time of writing. Reading this feedback on Steam reveals that fans found that Season 3 repeated many of the biggest problems they had with Season 2, especially how it focuses on offensive fans instead of defensive changes.
When Bandai released Season 2 in April 2024, players felt that the introduction buffs were overwhelmingly aggressive, which was all the more frustrating in light of how even early reviews found the game to be somewhat offensive. The backlash grew so much that Bandai Namco replaced the unit Tekken 8 leveling team a month later. This included giving more control over future balance adjustments to Kohei Ikeda, also known as Nakatsu. It seemed like a step in the right direction, especially considering Nakatsu's work Tekken 7 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2and Bandai also fixed it with some “emergency” updates after the season. However, it seems that these changes may not indicate the future of the game.
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Recent reviews on Steam Tekken 8 to show fans who are tired of getting their hopes up only to see the same kinds of unwanted changes implemented again. The bombardment of reviews hasn't been as intense as the response to Season 2 so far, so it's unclear how things will go from here, but it's unlikely that's how Bandai Namco wanted Season 3 to start. Balancing updates aren't the game's only point of contention, either Tekken 8 it was also bombarded several times for its monetization. While the players praised Tekken 8The content and visuals of the game, these positive aspects were not enough to save it from the gameplay and microtransactions.
It's always possible that Bandai Namco can turn things around and bounce back from this latest round of review bombardment. However, the future remains uncertain. At the height of the game's history of fan resistance, for a long time Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada left Bandai Namco in late 2025. Season 3 was Tekken 8The first major update released without Harada at the helm and it will be interesting to see how things go from here under the new leadership.
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January 26, 2024
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