Tekken 8 Season 2 launched today on April 1st, but the response to the new battle changes and character adjustments has been… let’s say less than enthusiastic. Right now, the game is getting review bombed on Steam, and the Tekken subreddit (along with other communities) is in complete meltdown mode. So what went wrong? Let’s break down the issues players – both casual and pro – are having, and see if this backlash is just kneejerk reactions or if there are real problems here.
First, some background: I’m an active Tekken 8 player with about 400-500 hours logged. While that’s nothing compared to a pro player’s time, I’ve put in enough matches across multiple characters in both ranked and casual play to understand the game reasonably well.
Now, about these controversial changes. The whole situation was made worse by what I’d call poor marketing. Before the patch dropped, the developers held two behind-the-scenes streams (Tekken Talk on YouTube) showing some upcoming changes in Tekken 8 Season 2. The first focused on Anna, while the second one in late March went deeper into the 2.0 patch changes.
But here’s where things really went south: EVO posted a video featuring the developers discussing changes in what appeared to be a new interview. One particular line that got everyone riled up was when they said (and EVO highlighted): “For Season 2, we’d like to focus on defense in terms of the lateral aspects of a 3D fighting game.”
And this – right here – is where everything went off the rails. The EVO video spread like wildfire across Twitter and other platforms, giving the entire Tekken community hope that the developers were finally addressing Season 1’s overly aggressive gameplay by returning to more defensive mechanics – exactly what that now-infamous quote seemed to promise.
Here’s the context: By the end of Tekken 7’s lifespan, many players criticized it for being too defensive. Pro matches often turned into boring stalemates with players endlessly backdashing and blocking until the clock ran out. Tekken 8 aimed to fix this by lowering the barrier to entry for newcomers and encouraging aggressive play. And let’s be honest – it worked. Tekken 8 is way more exciting to watch than late-stage Tekken 7, which could be downright snooze-inducing. But this offensive focus came at a cost – weakened defensive options led to constant 50/50 guesswork matches that sometimes felt like button-mashing contests. While I didn’t think it was terrible, certain characters like Jin, Dragunov, Feng and Yoshi clearly had unfair advantages.
Now with Tekken 8 Season 2, we’re seeing mixed results. Some characters got hit hard with nerfs, others lost key tools, but nearly everyone received new moves that create… you guessed it, more 50/50 situations. So much for that promised defensive focus! The actual defensive improvements – better sidesteps, reduced chip damage, Heat system adjustments, and grab nerfs – feel like an afterthought compared to all the new offensive tools.
That said, I think everyone’s overreacting. The patch hasn’t even been out for a full day yet. Yes, it’s disappointing that the changes don’t match what the EVO interview suggested, but the developers have shown they listen to feedback. Call me naive, but I’m actually excited for Season 2. If anyone can adapt to these changes, it’s pros like Arslan Ash, Knee, Atif and Ulsan – they’ll figure it out in no time.
Many pro players have already taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the new patch, but—as always—social media seems to be amplifying their reactions to extremes. Some of it feels like engagement bait, making it hard to take every complaint at face value. Knee, for instance, posted a photo of a demolished building as his “review” of Season 2. Arslan Ash stayed relatively quiet, simply asking for others’ opinions instead. Meanwhile, loyal character mains like top American player Shadow (a dedicated Zafina player) openly expressed frustration over their character’s nerfs.
Bandai Namco has already confirmed they’ll make additional adjustments before the Tekken World Tour kicks off, which will officially launch the Season 2 esports scene. With Tekken 8 also featured in this year’s Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the stakes are undeniably high. Here’s hoping the community takes time to adapt to the changes—and that the developers listen to constructive feedback before major tournaments begin.
