We know Mortal Kombat 1 has just dropped, and it’s excellent, but Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 really could be the best fighting game this generation will see – at least until the next wave of these upcoming Xbox games and upcoming PS5 games drops. If you’re not sure if you’ll like this series, though, you’ll be pleased to know that a new Tekken 8 closed beta test is starting up very soon and you can actually sign up for access right now.
As per an announcement from veteran fighting game developer (and also developer of some of the best RPG games we’ve ever seen) Bandai Namco, a Closed Beta Test (CBT) for Tekken 8 will kick-off on October 20 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC players to enjoy. If you want to know how to get a Tekken 8 beta code, you can register for Tekken 8 CBT access online right here. There may be other methods, of which Bandai Namco has not confirmed yet, but this will be your best bet – at least for now.
We know the full Tekken 8 release date is a little while away yet, but this could be a fantastic chance for you to familiarize yourself with some of your favorite Tekken 8 characters – maybe even those atop our Tekken 8 tier list. Although, you won’t be able to try every single fighter in this game. The Tekken 8 CBT features 19 fighters for you to choose from. They are Jin, Kazuya, Jun, Paul, Law, King, Lars, Jack-8, Xiaoyu, Nina, Leroy, Lili, Asuka, Hwoarang, Bryan, Claudio, Azucena, Raven, and Feng.
If you’re wondering whether Tekken 8 crossplay is something you have to look forward to, you’ll be pleased to know that Bandai Namco is actually enabling this feature for this October CBT.
In addition to that, players will be able to check out the Tekken Fight Lounge – a new immersive lobbby that sounds quite similar to Street Fighter 6 World Tour mode. Here, you’ll be able to interact with other players, check out custom fighters, and check out some fantastic game modes like Battle Area and Tekken Ball. Yes, Tekken 3’s Tekken Ball is back (although, it isn’t available in the CBT so temper those expectations).
Registration online ends at 00:00 PST / 03:00 EST / 08:00 BST on October 11, over a week before the CBT starts an hour later on October 20. It will then run for three full days, ending at 01:00 PST / 04:00 EST / 09:00 BST on October 23.
Tekken 8 affirms that it’s the true king of fighting games in our recent preview, but will it remain that way when we – and you, of course – get more time to play? Well, only time will tell, but we can’t wait to find out.