Tekken 8 Community in Uproar Over Season 2 Balance Changes, Pros Threaten to Ditch the Game, Steam Reviews on Fire

The Tekken 8 community has erupted in frustration following the Season 2 update, which introduced several controversial changes to the game. The patch notes highlighted an overall increase in character damage potential and offensive pressure, leading many fans to argue that the update has deviated significantly from the traditional Tekken gameplay experience.

Professional Tekken player JoKa expressed strong dissatisfaction with the update, stating, "This does not feel like Tekken AT ALL." JoKa criticized the buffs to characters, the increased reliance on stance-based transitions, and the introduction of new moves with minimal counterplay. He argued that the patch has led to a homogenization of characters, stripping them of their unique identities and reducing strategic depth in favor of more 50/50 situations. JoKa also noted the lack of promised defensive options, questioning the balance team's direction.

T8 now hit the most negative reviews in a day since the day the Tekken Shop launched one year ago
byu/YourGameTVlol inTekken

.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }The backlash has been palpable on Tekken 8's Steam page, where the game has received over 1,100 negative reviews in the past two days, resulting in a 'mostly negative' rating for recent reviews. Players have voiced their concerns, with one review describing the game as "genuinely good [but] held back by schizophrenic insane developers sent from hell." Another player lamented the lack of defensive buffs, stating that the new season has turned characters into "braindead easy mix up machines." A third review criticized the balance team for focusing too heavily on offensive power, which they believe takes away player agency.

The sentiment among some fans is so strong that they are turning to Capcom's Street Fighter 6 as an alternative. Others have labeled Season 2 as the "worst patch in Tekken history," and some professional players have even threatened to abandon Tekken 8 altogether.

I don't know if I'll continue playing Tekken if this patch stays.
I'm sorry for doomposting, but I thought it had a chance to be a better game.
I'm just really sad.
Like depressed.
I streamed 70 hours of Tekken this past week to prep for s2 just to have those hopes shattered.
Gn.

— END | Jesandy (@Jesandy1572) April 1, 2025

In light of the widespread discontent, the community is eagerly awaiting a response from the development team. Many are calling for the patch to be rolled back entirely, while others hope for an emergency follow-up patch to address the key issues raised by the players.