Summary
Tekken 8might be adding microtransactions through its new Tekken Shop, and fans are already divided. The latestTekkengame launched back in January to rave reviews, with many praisingTekken 8for its plot, “aggressive” gameplay, and improved visual presentation.Tekken 8has already surpassed publisher Bandai Namco’s sales expectations mere weeks after release, and this success will likely continue as the game’s post-launch DLC wave is released - starting with the fan favorite Capoeira expert Eddy Gordo.
However, it seems thatTekken 8will continue a controversial trend in the gaming industry: microtransactions. Players can purchase additional items with real-life currency in countless video games, but microtransactions have come under intense scrutiny when used in full-price, triple-A fighting game releases. For example,Street Fighter 6came under fireover the usually high cost of its alternate DLC character skins. Likewise,Mortal Kombat 1drew considerable backlash for charging players to unlock special Fatalities like the Halloween-themed kill animation released last October.
Tekken 8recently indicated that it will be adding its own microtransactions through its upcoming Tekken Shop, as revealed in an in-game message players received when logging in earlier this week. Fans initially theorized that this new shop will useTekken 8’s in-game Fight Money currencyfor its purchases, but the announcement message seemingly disproves this by stating that the game’s ESRB rating has been updated to mention “In-Game Purchases,” all but confirming that real-world money will be involved.
Tekken 8’s Upcoming Microtransactions Are Already Dividing Fans
The news ofTekken 8’s possible microtransaction store has already garnered a mixed response online. While some are decrying the implication of microtransactions as a universally negative thing, others feel thatTekken 8deserves the benefit of the doubt given how much content is already in the base game. These fans see no issue withTekken 8selling legacy skins of existing charactersand other minor cosmetic items at a reasonable price, along with the already confirmed DLC characters like the aforementioned Eddy Gordo.
There is currently no official word on when the microtransaction-based Tekken Shop will be added toTekken 8or what it might entail, but such information could come during this week’s confirmed Tekken Talk livestream. The announcement itself has already sparked a discourse amongTekken 8’s large fanbase, so Bandai Namco may wish to tread carefully when it comes to the game’s upcoming microtransaction model if it wishes to retain the goodwillTekken 8has generated in less than a month on the market.
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.
