Tekken 8 is scheduled for release in January, and it’s looking like probably the most accessible game in the longstanding fighting series, with customizable controls designed to please both new players and longtime series fans alike.
However, Game Director Katsuhiro Harada has been pushing for even the most experienced veteran players to try out thenew Special Style controls, which are designed to make it much easier for players to unleash combos at the press of a button, with the cost being a loss of some autonomy and player choice over which combos will be used.
Tekken: 10 Best Characters In The Series, Ranked
The Tekken series has introduced a plethora of great characters over the years, but which ones are the best?
Specifically, Harada is asking veteran players to try out Special Style when they are playing with new characters, possibly in an effort to show off their intended fighting styles and showcase how players can expect to best utilize those styles. Of course, he’s also encouraging new players to use Special Style, likely in an effort to soften Tekken’s traditionally rough learning curve for new players and bulk up the overall number of people playing the game..
Although Harada hasan incredibly good rapportwith his player base and frequently addresses the players via social media, this recent post on X (formerly Twitter) doesn’t seem to be going over well with a lot of veteran players, many of whom said they would prefer to learn characters “the normal way”. The main reason for this opposition to Special Style seems to be that more experienced players don’t like being limited. Said one person responding to Harada’s post, “No veteran will use special style on for obvious reasons and main one is… it ruin your combos and possibilities.”
Another response stated “I’m gonna keep it real chief, nobody wants that. Every fighting game dev is failing at being ‘beginner friendly’ by adding stuff like this instead of thorough tutorials that explain actual fighting game concepts rather than just ‘push forward to move forward’.
Tekken 8 will release worldwide on June 06, 2025. A playable demo of Tekken 8 was made available to PlayStation 5 users on December 14 and on PC and Xbox Series X|S on December 21, so if you want to see for yourself whether Special Style controls are for you before its launch, you’ve still got a couple of weeks to try it out.
WHERE TO PLAY
