Tekken 8 revealed quite a bit of information in its Season 2 Special, including the return of Anna Williams, several details for Season 2, first-year sales numbers, and more.
To kick things off, Anna Williams, also known as the Scarlet Lightning, is coming to Tekken 8. Anna has been in nearly every Tekken game to date, so her release is no real surprise (especially after she was teased at The Game Awards last year).
She’ll be available as DLC with Season 2, hitting Early Access on March 31 (PDT)/ April 1 (CEST/JPT) and officially releasing on April 3 (PDT)/April 4 (CEST/JST).
Players can watch the Anna Williams gameplay trailer below:
Anna Williams kicks off Season 2’s character and stage pass. Each of the characters and stages can be purchased separately as DLC, similar to the first pass (which included Heihachi Mishima). The rest of the pass/DLC also has release windows now:
- Summer: Stage and Character
- Autumn: Character
- Winter: Stage and Character
Tekken 8’s Version 2.00 will also see large-scale battle balancing, changes to ranked match specifications, and a new Ghost vs. Ghost feature.
When it comes to large-scale battle balancing, one of the highlights is that the game is expanding the strategic options of the Heat System. Offensive and defensive balance during the Heat State are also being adjusted. Controls have been enhanced, as well.
Ranked matches will use skill-based matchmaking in Season 2. This will use a fair point system to make sure every player is enjoying the game while also being challenged on a fair level. Part of this includes new search filters that let players search for games that are close to their rank or restrict ranks in Quick Matches.
Ranks are also being adjusted as a new promotion system is added in Season 2. There will also be a ranked reset and new ranks added, and there will be no more consecutive loss penalties for losing ranked games back to back.
Ghost vs. Ghost will be a new feature that lets players pit their Ghost against other players’ Ghosts. This will roll out gradually, and the current schedule looks like this:
- March (v1.13): Send your Ghost to battle other players’ Ghosts
- May (v2.01): Tekken Ghost Showdown mode releases
- June (v2.02): Adds new functions to instruct and evaluate Ghosts
It’s been roughly one year since Tekken 8 was released, and in that time, it’s sold over 3 million copies. The game is selling quicker than Tekken 7 did, which has sold over 12 million copies since it was released back in 2015.
Other news included in the Tekken Talk Live was several decor for sale, like skateboard decks, an LED Neon sign, figures, clothing, Angel Clover watches, and RockLove jewelry pendants. There are also special DJ albums that were released today.
There were also changes to TWT 2025, which players can check out here. Fans can check out the two-hour-long Tekken 8 Season 2 Special below:
