Tekken 8 Dragun nerfs explained

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In the following months Tekken 8Bandai Namco Entertainment had to drop the proverbial gaming nerf hammer a few times when it was released on Dragunov to keep the overall balance. Right from the start, Dragunov proved to be a problematic figure due to how overpowered his moveset was, and as a result he quickly gained popularity among the fan base – especially among the pros involved in tournaments and ranked matches. Despite the recurring nerf situation, he has maintained his status as one of the Tekken 8most powerful characters. However, patch update 1.09.01, released on October 29th, brought much-needed balance changes to shake up the status quo, hitting Dragunov and Alisa with some back-to-earth tweaks.



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Dragunov Nerfs are a gift that keeps on giving out in Tekken 8 patch 1.09.01

Dragoon Nerves have become something Tekken 8's community looks forward to almost every update, with Bandai Namco fighting to restore some semblance of order to their game. While the developer still has a ways to go before ranked matches are considered level playing field, patch 1.09.01 was aimed at bringing “adjustments that were made to suppress the performance of some of Dragunov's overpowered moves. The following techniques received a nerf in patches:

  • Ultra Russian Aug
  • Low pass
  • Double kick
  • Heat Engager


Hitbox and Damage Nerfs Come to Heat Smash and Low Swipe “Razer”

Dragunov's Ultra Russian Sickle (Heat Smash activated by pressing 2 and 3 during heat) has been a big source of complaints in the community. The hitbox was too large to escape from, and players would report damage on the third attack even after successfully dodging the first two hits. Although there is no official explanation for the existence of such a problem at this time, Bandai Namco responded by reducing the duration of the attack and limiting the hitbox area of ​​the third attack. This fix makes it less likely that opponents who dodge the first two attacks will be punished for getting behind Dragunov, as seen in earlier versions.

In this patch, while the Ultra Russian Sickle nerf may grab the headlines, other techniques in his repertoire have also received significant nerfs. Dragunov's Low Swipe (which made him one of Tekken 8the best Punish characters) didn't come out unscathed, as the move now only deals 14 damage, down from 17 before the patch. However, while the fix brings a welcome change, many fans claim that the problem wasn't the damage done, but rather the tracking and launch frames.


Dragunov's Low Swipe is a homing low attack with an ultra-fast launch frame and decent range that makes it virtually impossible to track with the eyes. This advantage makes it one of the most reliable ways to chip damage or quickly end matches that go down to the wire. By reducing the damage dealt by three points, Low Swipe is a bit less of a death sentence, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem and as such won't do much to change its perception as an overpowered technique.

Bandai Namco revisits Dragunov's Double Kick and Heat Engager in a new patch

Along with Ultra Russian Sickle and Low Swipe, Tundra Slash has been another thorn in the side of players for a long time. Previously almost impossible to dodge, the new update made it a little easier to dodge his deadly damage. When the first kick misses, the tracking power and hitbox of the second hit are greatly reduced, ending scenarios where players dodge the first kick only to be met by the second.


The attack is now more linear and players can immediately close down Dragunov after a missed kick and punish him for going wide as a second kick is almost guaranteed. Also on Bandai Namco's Dragunov hit list is the ignition switch. This technique is one of the most overpowered moves in his repertoire due to its utility – it used to provide benefits such as easily knocking down and stunning a wall for chaining together deadly combos on opponents.

Bandai Namco has taken these aspects of its utility, but still gives Dragunov a +8 frame advantage on a successful hit while keeping opponents close. It's not clear if the developer is done with Dragunov's nerfs now, but these new changes have gone a long way to shaking things up Tekken 8current meta.

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