Summary
Bandai Namco reveals the first patch notes for Update 2.00.02, which attempts to fix numerous issues withTekken 8’s second season. After a very strong start when it released in 2024,Tekken 8has launched its second full season and things have not gone according to plan.
Things have fallen off the rails forTekken 8following the launch of Season 2and Anna Williams. What was supposed to be the next big phase of the popular fighting game has instead resulted in player frustration and backlash as the Season 2 update seemingly introduced massive changes to the core gameplay, including game-breaking character interactions. The result of the launch has left Bandai Namco scrambling to fix the game for players, with the first of three emergency updates now ready for launch.
In a new announcement,Tekken 8is preparing to launch its first emergency updateto address the many issues now plaguing the game. The patch notes have been revealed and the official Tekken account on social media outlined the patch will be launching on April 17, apologized for pushing the game too heavily towards offense, and confirmed that issues will be addressed in stages, with ones that can be resolved quickly being prioritized over ones that require more time and feedback.
For the upcoming patch, Bandai Namco is making three big changes, including increasing maximum health to attempt to counter the current higher damage values and potential for “touch-of-death” moments. Next up is a “gradual” change intended to adjust what it deems as overly powerful moves, giving examples of targeting things that offer more high-reward gameplay without much of the risk, or attacks that repeatedly create “advantageous situations” that could lead to overly one-sided gameplay.Tekken 8’s Heat Systemis also getting another pass, as Bandai Namco believes that the benefits for the attacking player are currently too great.
The patch notes are also apologetic to players and reiterate that the balance changes ultimately did not align with development intentions and policy. The message echoes previous sentiments fromTekken 8director Katsuhiro Harada, who also provided an update on the situation and confirms that the Battle & Tuning team is working around the clock to read through feedback and fix the current issues. This first patch is only the first step on that path, with another patch scheduled for sometime in May.
Tekken 8 Update 2.00.02 Patch Notes
(1) Increased the maximum health value to help mitigate situations where matches are decided through overly one-sided momentum.
In light of the current damage environment trending toward inflation—driven by offense-heavy game balance and increased aerial combo damage—the maximum health value will be increased. This adjustment is intended to ease situations where matches are too easily decided by one-sided momentum.
(2) Gradual Adjustments to Overly High-Reward Moves
This update addresses the overall inflation of attack strength and combo damage by implementing adjustments that can be done quickly to moves that provide excessive reward.
We recognize this as a game-wide issue rather than a problem limited to specific characters, and we plan to continue reviewing and tuning these aspects progressively.
Examples of adjustments included in this update:
– Balance adjustments to high-performance moves that can repeatedly create advantageous situations and lead to one-sided gameplay.
– Adjustments to moves with disproportionately high reward compared to their risk, ensuring fairer risk-reward balance.
(3) Rebalancing the Offensive and Defensive Aspects of the Heat System
Currently, the benefits gained by the attacking player through the Heat System are considered too great.
The following adjustments have been made:
– Revised damage scaling when using Heat Dash to suppress combo damage inflation.
– Adjusted frame advantage on hit for Heat Engagers, maintaining benefits for the attacker while allowing the defender more opportunities to respond.
Additionally, adjustments have been made to chip damage as follows:
– Reduced additional chip damage during Heat.
– Changed the system so that moves which already deal chip damage do not receive extra chip damage while in Heat state.
*Future updates will also include adjustments to the amount of chip damage dealt by individual moves.
【Future Balance Adjustments】
In the next update planned for mid-May, adjustments will include reducing air combo damage and reevaluating the performance of Heat Burst.
Additionally, we will continue to review issues that could not be addressed in this update, such as:
– moves that consistently create advantageous situations leading to one-sided matches
– attacks with disproportionately high rewards relative to their risk.
Moving forward, we remain committed to incorporating player feedback and will focus on resolving cases of overly dominant character performance and interactions that result in one-sided gameplay.
Tekken 8
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
