Highlights
- Tekken 8's closed network test had very positive results, with a stable online environment and better-than-expected connections, even across long distances.
- The smoothness of the test period was surprising, as there were no major server outages or problems despite a large number of players accessing the game.
- The interview also discusses Tekken 8's new Arcade Quest Mode, the game's story, and the developers' favorite character trailers, along with the Tekken: Bloodline anime.
According to Tekken 8's producer, the results from the game's July closed network test period were very good, promising a very stable online environment. 2023 has been a solid year for the fighting game space, with releases like Capcom's Street Fighter 6 and NetherRealm Studios' Mortal Kombat 1 impressing a lot of fans. While Tekken 8 is releasing in 2024, the game is similarly highly anticipated, with Bandai Namco also giving a lot of marketing and focus on it.
One of the things that makes a fighting game succeed in the modern day is its online infrastructure. This includes the connection of a match online and the ability to play with any opponent regardless of system. Most fighting games nowadays have been implementing rollback netcode, which is used to help cut down on delay or latency during a match. Tekken 8's director, Katsuhiro Harada, confirmed that the fighting game will feature both of these aspects, which was greatly appreciated by the fighting game community. The director recently discussed the game's online environment again, this time in regard to Tekken 8's Closed Network Tests (CNT) held in July.
In an interview with Bandai Namco and Harada held at Gamescom 2023, one of things that was asked was what were the most surprising results of the CNTs. Harada stated the thing that surprised him the most was that he was expecting a range of connection results for Tekken 8. He was positively surprised when the results were better than expected, with connection remaining stable throughout the test period. He was especially surprised in regard to long-range connectivity, as he believed things would be unstable when having a match with two players between Europe and the US, for instance.
Michael Murray, an associate producer on the game, was also surprised by how smoothly things went during the CNT. He was particularly surprised that there weren't any big problems, such as major outages of the online servers. This result was especially shocking considering that Bandai Namco had given a large amount of players access to the game. While it's a bit early to tell with several more players trying play at once, Tekken 8 seems like it will have a stable online environment.
The interview delves into other aspects of the upcoming fighting game, such as Tekken 8's new Arcade Quest Mode, the story of the game, and the developers' favorite character trailers. Murray even brings up the Tekken: Bloodline anime, which can be used as a way for fans to brush up on the plot and get ready for Tekken 8's story mode.
Tekken 8 will launch on January 26, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Bandai Namco
