Tekken 8 Season 2 is right around the corner, and we just got to see more of it in action in terms of not only Anna Williams but the wider system changes being made to the game too.
The developers showed off quite a bit during the recent Tekken Talk Live Season 2 event, which led to some vocal complaints from fans about a few subjects in particular.
First, there’s the removal of counter hit properties on Ki Charge attacks, which will on paper take away some combo options from characters and has players scratching their heads a bit.
And then there’s the change that will make throw escapes deal a small amount of chip damage to the defender that is at least recoverable.
The latter in particular seems to fly in the face of the Tekken team saying they want to focus on defense in Season 2.
Such changes led to quite a few posts questioning the decisions on social media, which caught the attention of Katsuhiro Harada.
The longtime Tekken Project Director shared a lengthy post on X/Twitter in response to the criticisms where he starts by asking players to try out the new patch before getting too opinionated and saying they are open to the feedback.
“Since the topic of About Ki Charge and other system updates came up, I’ll make a comment,” wrote Harada. “I understand that there are various opinions. However, at the time of writing this, players have not yet had the chance to play the updated version of the build. So, we would really appreciate it if you could try it out after the update goes live—spend some time playing or competing in tournaments—and then share your feedback with us.
“With that in mind, please feel free to send any opinions or criticism to me or Michael. We won’t be replying to every message, but we do read pretty much all of them.”
Moreover, he discusses how there’s a generational shift happening not just in the players, but in the development team and how they handle content and updates.
“That’s exactly why, as I’ve also said in previous programs, I’ve entrusted almost everything to the next generation dev members—and I trust them.
“Above all, as everyone knows, this is the first Tekken to be released simultaneously worldwide on console without two years of arcade release and operation. This is a fact that has surprisingly been overlooked this time, and it’s probably the part that sets this title apart from previous entries in the series more than anything else.
Tekken 8 can be seen as part of an ongoing evolution, and there’s still plenty of room for it to change based on your feedback—just like how every arcade version in the past evolved without exception.”
Harada goes on to share some old development stories too like how Ki Charge and Bryan’s taunt were kinda made on a whim quickly during the Tekken 3 days.
He says he’s surprised Ki Charge was never really updated before now and how players started using taunt cancels in ways that he didn’t anticipate that scared him.
We obviously just have a small taste of what Tekken 8’s second year has in store for players now, but that’s not going to stop people from forming opinions about what Bandai Namco is choosing to show off early.
With characters (and systems) getting changed and buffed, it’ll be interesting to see ultimately if there is more of a balance between offense and defense or if the aggressor is going to be pushed even harder like some are fearing.
All of that will be made a bit more clear once the actual Season 2 update drops with Anna next week on March 31.
You can find Harada’s full lengthy statement below.
Since the topic of About Ki Charge and other system updates came up, I’ll make a comment.
I understand that there are various opinions. However, at the time of writing this, players have not yet had the chance to play the updated version of the build. So, we would really appreciate it if you could try it out after the update goes live—spend some time playing or competing in tournaments—and then share your feedback with us.
With that in mind, please feel free to send any opinions or criticism to me or Michael. We won’t be replying to every message, but we do read pretty much all of them.
I will share that feedback with the team, and of course, I have full trust in the new generation of game designers and have left everything in their hands.
As I mentioned in the recent TEKKEN TALK, back in the day, Michael and I started the method of revealing content little by little at community events, and the community came to expect that. However, nowadays, people’s needs have changed, and it’s clear that more people want all the content to be revealed in a single announcement on social media or official sites. (Though there are still many strong opinions preferring the opposite.)
In this way, generational shifts among players are also progressing, and values are changing. Until now, I’ve responded to these kinds of changes in various ways (and that’s precisely why TEKKEN has continued for 30 years without interruption). But this time, I was slow to notice the change in needs regarding how content is announced, and beyond that, I can clearly feel that my own “sensors” for detecting change have dulled (Yes, precisely because I’m aware of that myself, I’ve already been transferring a lot of decision-making authority to the next generation over the past few years. I want to make sure the good things are credited to them, and on the other hand, any criticism or feedback is something that Michael and I take upon ourselves. By doing so, I am steadily and intentionally labeling myself as an old relic or stick-in-the-mud, and—taking my age into consideration—I’m actually accelerating the day I’ll be pushed out by everyone. And that, in a good way, is something meaningful for all of us and tekken community.).
That’s exactly why, as I’ve also said in previous programs, I’ve entrusted almost everything to the next generation dev members—and I trust them. Above all, as everyone knows, this is the first TEKKEN to be released simultaneously worldwide on console without two years of arcade release and operation. This is a fact that has surprisingly been overlooked this time, and it’s probably the part that sets this title apart from previous entries in the series more than anything else.
TEKKEN 8 can be seen as part of an ongoing evolution, and there’s still plenty of room for it to change based on your feedback—just like how every arcade version in the past evolved without exception.
Of course, there are times when we reflect the community’s requests and opinions as-is, and times when the “development side makes new proposals” (Well, I went a bit too far back during TEKKEN 4. But since then, nothing quite that extreme has happened again). That part hasn’t changed from the old days, in a good way.
The fact that games are updated and undergo many changes is also just as it has always been. So, I really hope you will share your opinions after actually playing the updated game.
By the way, the reason KI Charge was first introduced is a bit far from what people imagine.
Come to think of it, it’s actually kind of surprising that the KI Charge mechanic hasn’t been updated until now.
Back when we were developing TEKKEN 3, the game systems were being scripted by just two of us: myself (as the game director at the time) and a senior colleague. One day, around the halfway point of development, the lead programmer, Y-san, said:
“Harada, of course sidestepping is a new system, and low parry is also a new system—but I’m still not satisfied! We need to put in even more new systems! Like, for example, something where you power up by psyching yourself up…”
That’s what he said. And I scripted that system the same day.
Back then, that’s just how we put systems together. As for KI Charge, I added it simply because I wanted Y-san, the lead programmer, to feel more motivated about work. Looking back now, it’s like, “What the heck?!”—but that’s how it was back then.
And to go further, the system where Bryan can connect moves after his Taunt—which is now considered standard—that was also something I personally implemented, but at the time, I never imagined it would become what it is today.
I created it purely as a performance element to express Bryan’s personality, with no relation to match balance or mind games. I just thought it would be more fun if you could cancel it at any time during the Taunt.
But some time after the title was released, Bryan’s Taunt was being used in ways I never expected.
I panicked. I wanted to fix it right away, but at the time, it was the height of the arcade era, and we couldn’t do online updates.
So I tried to fix it in the next version six months later or in the console version release.
But when I spoke to players at arcades and tournaments about it, everyone was strongly opposed.
They all interpreted it as a “Official system.” I was shocked. I really wanted to explain, “No, that was just a bonus feature with no real purpose—it’s not a system, and I just scripted it wrong…” But I held back and left it in place.
Both KI Charge and the Taunt were systems that were added under those kinds of circumstances. They were introduced in ways that, to be honest, could rightfully have been criticized (or in the case of Taunt, unintentionally introduced). But I believe it’s okay for those things to evolve into different proposals over time, or to change according to the needs of the players, or even to lead to unexpected developments.
Sometimes features that weren’t carefully designed or were introduced poorly are accepted. Other times, carefully planned features are not.
Compared to the past, where arcade versions were updated repeatedly before a console release, the current situation—where the game is released worldwide simultaneously on console—is completely different.
I know there are many opinions. And above all, opinions reach us so much faster than in the past. I mean, people are already sharing opinions about a version of the game they haven’t even played yet. From the perspective of someone who used to write system scripts back in the day, it really feels like we’re living in an amazing time.
Anyway, the large-scale tuning of Season 2, the addition of new arts, and the system changes are all part of a free update—so please try playing it for a while, and then share your feedback again.
Thank you.
