The thrill of defeating your mates in a Tekken or Street Fighter game is unmatched. Bandai Namco is bringing fighting game fans the latest entry to its beloved series to PS5 owners soon, as Tekken 8 continues the multi-decade feud between fighters like Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. Each entry has evolved the series in innovative ways, but now, the inclusion of two new features ensures that Tekken 8 will be a defining moment for Tekken enthusiasts.
Answering questions from future Tekken 8 players, chief producer Katsuhiro Harada confirms that rollback netcode will finally debut within the Tekken franchise. “[We’ve] already installed it, and it already has what you want,” says Harada. Tekken games have never utilised rollback netcode, until now, and some fans are wondering why this feature hasn’t been hyped up in the build-up to the Tekken 8 release date.
Harada explains that “we don’t make big announcements like crossplay, because even if we make big announcements, people like you will only say things like ‘waaaa! That’s normal in this day and age.’ So shut up & sit the hell down.” It may be a slightly fiery response to Twitter user ‘cheepdude’, but the first confirmation of rollback netcode is still exciting nonetheless.
You might be wondering exactly what rollback netcode is. Essentially this feature improves latency during online battles, meaning that each punch and kick is extremely responsive, removing as much perceived delay as possible – even if you’re at opposite ends of the world. The aim is to make matches feel like you’re playing on the same console together, just like the good old days of couch multiplayer.
Alongside Tekken 8’s rollback netcode inclusion, Harada also affirms to players that Tekken 8 crossplay will be featured in the game. “Crossplay? Of course, I will. BTW When the previous generation consoles were released, I had already proposed crossplay between the two platformers,” Harada says.
While Harada has tried to implement the feature in older Tekken titles, the series producer says that “at that time, they were at odds with each other over their mutual interests (and P2P security issue) & repeatedly refused.”
The latest Tekken game is shaping up to be a different beast for the franchise, and along with all the upcoming PS5 games of 2023, we’re sure you’re hyped for it too. Don’t forget to brush up on all the Tekken 8 characters too, because picking the right fighter is always an important choice.