Tekken 8 Season 2 Balance Changes Spark Outrage, Pros Threaten Boycott, Steam Reviews Plummet

The Tekken 8 community has erupted in frustration following the Season 2 update, which introduced several contentious changes to the game. According to the patch notes, there was a universal increase in character damage potential and offensive pressure, leading some fans to argue that the game has deviated significantly from the traditional Tekken experience.

Professional Tekken player JoKa expressed his disappointment, stating that the Season 2 update has transformed the game to the point where "this does not feel like Tekken AT ALL." He criticized the update for buffing characters, enhancing 50/50 situations, and introducing new moves with little to no counterplay. JoKa also pointed out the removal of character weaknesses and identities through homogenization, the gutting of oki, and the excessive combo damage across the roster. He questioned the lack of promised defensive options and the overall shift away from Tekken's foundational gameplay.

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; }As expected, the backlash has been significant on Tekken 8's Steam page, where players have voiced their frustrations through over 1,100 negative reviews in the last two days, resulting in a 'mostly negative' user review rating for recent reviews. One of the top reviews described the game as "genuinely good [but] held back by schizophrenic insane developers sent from hell." Other reviews lamented the new season's focus on easy mix-up mechanics without corresponding buffs to defense, and the balance team's emphasis on powerful offense that strips agency from the defending player.

The dissatisfaction is so profound that some fans are turning to Capcom's Street Fighter 6, while others label Season 2 as the "worst patch in Tekken history." Some professional players have even threatened to abandon Tekken 8 entirely.

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

The community is now eagerly awaiting a response from the development team, with many calling for either a complete rollback of the patch or an emergency follow-up patch to address the key issues raised by players.