Tekken 8’s second season is off to a rocky start, with the community overwhelmingly slamming the update for pushing the game further away from its roots.
Steam reviews have plummeted to “Overwhelmingly Negative” for the past 30 days, with only 14% of players leaving positive feedback. At the core of the backlash is the game’s increasing focus on offense-heavy mechanics, which many long-time fans argue undermines Tekken’s traditional balance between aggression and defense.
Instead of dialing back the overpowered aspects of the Heat system or toning down dominant characters, Season 2 delivered buffs to fighters like Bryan—whose aggressive kit was already powerful—leaving the competitive scene confused and disappointed.
“There’s a disconnect between what the community wants and what the developer is doing,” admitted Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada, referencing the sharp criticism aimed at the game’s balance team. While Bandai Namco has acknowledged the concerns, no firm timeline has been given for potential reversals or tweaks.
To make matters worse, monetization also came under fire. The “Playable Character Year 1 Pass” and the new “Genmaji Temple” DLC failed to meet expectations, prompting the developers to offer a small olive branch: the winter stage will now be free for season pass holders, and players who log in during the apology period receive 500 Tekken coins.
But for many players, the gesture feels hollow. Forums and social media remain packed with calls for a return to more strategic, defensively viable gameplay, and for developers to listen before the player base erodes further.
