The Tekken 8 community has erupted in frustration following the Season 2 update, which introduced several controversial changes to the game. According to the patch notes, there was an across-the-board increase in character damage potential and offensive pressure. This shift has led to widespread complaints that the game is moving away from the traditional Tekken experience.
Professional Tekken player JoKa voiced strong sentiments about the update, stating, "This does not feel like Tekken AT ALL." He criticized the buffs to characters, the enhancement of 50/50 situations through new stance-based transitions, and the addition of moves with little to no counterplay. JoKa also pointed out the homogenization of characters, the removal of their unique identities, and the imbalance between offensive and defensive gameplay. He questioned the lack of promised defensive options and expressed concerns over excessive chip damage and the effectiveness of sidesteps against moves with strong tracking and hitboxes.T8 now hit the most negative reviews in a day since the day the Tekken Shop launched one year ago
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.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }As a result of these changes, Tekken 8's Steam page has been inundated with negative reviews, with over 1,100 appearing in the last two days. This has led to the game receiving a 'mostly negative' user review rating for recent reviews. One of the 'most helpful' reviews described the game as "genuinely good [but] held back by schizophrenic insane developers sent from hell." Other reviews criticized the new season for turning every character into an "easy mix-up machine" without any improvements to defense. There's a consensus that the balance team has focused too heavily on offense, stripping away player agency and turning the game into one dominated by forced 50/50 situations.
The backlash has been so intense that some fans are turning to Capcom’s Street Fighter 6 as an alternative. Season 2 has been labeled by some as the "worst patch in Tekken history," with professional players threatening to abandon the game altogether. One such player, Jesandy, shared their disappointment on social media, lamenting the shattered hopes after dedicating 70 hours to preparing for the new season.
I don't know if I'll continue playing Tekken if this patch stays.
I'm sorry for doomposting, but I thought it had a chance to be a better game.
I'm just really sad.
Like depressed.
I streamed 70 hours of Tekken this past week to prep for s2 just to have those hopes shattered.
Gn.— END | Jesandy (@Jesandy1572) April 1, 2025
The community is now eagerly awaiting a response from the development team. Many are calling for the patch to be rolled back entirely, while others hope for an emergency follow-up patch to address the key issues raised by players.
