Key Takeaways
- Tekken 8 players criticize new Gemaki Temple stage DLC sold for $4.99 USD.
- Director Harada acknowledges mistake, apologizes for decision, and promises to meet community expectations.
- Heihachi Mishima returns, dividing opinions, after Eddy Gordo and Lidia Sobieska join the roster.
Tekken 8 players are unhappy with the new stage DLC, which can only be obtained with real money. After being announced in 2022, Tekken 8 finally hit the shelves earlier this year, with Bandai Namco bringing another chapter of the iconic franchise to players.
Set six months after the events of Tekken 7, the new game in the series centers on the battle between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. The base game’s roster includes 32 fighters, including fan-favorites such as Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix, and King, unexpected returns such as Jun Kazama, and newcomers Azucena, Victor Chevalier, and Reina Mishima. With the arrival of Tekken 8, the development team revealed their plans for post-launch content, seeking to keep the game engaging for the community. However, one of these releases recently became the focus of controversy.
Tekken 8 players are frustrated by the release of the new Gemaki Temple stage DLC, which is being sold for $4.99 USD instead of being made available for free. The news has surprised the community, as previously, with the addition of Lidia Sobieska to Tekken 8‘s roster, the Seaside Resort stage was released as a free update for all players. As a result, several community members like Reddit user ShadyHabibi used social media to express their dissatisfaction with the decision.
Tekken 8 Faces Backlash After Releasing Paid Stage DLC
Amid cries of boycott and criticism from players, Tekken 8 chief Katsuhiro Harada addressed the controversy. In a lengthy post on Twitter, he apologized to players for what had happened and admitted the decision to release a paid stage DLC was a mistake. He says that from the beginning it was made clear that the Season Pass would not include stages. Despite this, with Lidia’s debut, the Seaside Resort was released, but as a free update. Harada also explains that his current role at Bandai Namco has more to do with the development of the Tekken games, but that he will be rethinking that to ensure the community’s expectations are met.
While players are divided over the Gemaki Temple controversy, Heihachi Mishima is back in Tekken 8 after many thought the fighter was dead following the events of the previous game. Heihachi is available as the third addition to the Year 1 character pass, which in April brought to fans the ever-popular capoeira master Eddy Gordo, while in July it was the turn of Lidia Sobieska, the Prime Minister of Poland, to join the roster.
