Highlights

  • Customizing the main menu in Tekken 8 is a hot topic among players, prompting Katsuhiro Harada to address the issue and hint at the mechanic's appearance in a future update.
  • The inclusion of every character in the main menu would honor all mains and avoid alienating players who aren't represented.
  • Having this feature present in Tekken 9 from day one would be a nice gesture, as while it does not impact gameplay, it does help players connect with the game a little bit more.

As Tekken 8 continues to improve across the update cycle of its first set of DLC fighters, an unexpected dilemma has arisen which has managed to motivate the series' creator to comment on the matter. Issues like character balance and all the mechanics which factor into it have primarily taken the spotlight when it comes to feedback to from players, but a far less hardcore aspect of Tekken 8's customization has had enough discussion around it that Katsuhiro Harada himself seems to already be working on addressing the problem.

New characters are the main draw of the DLC support of Tekken, but these releases have also come with a conspicuous change to an element of the game which has no bearing on actual matches. With the fighter displayed prominently within the main menu being altered with each new DLC release, players have become more vocal about the desire to directly customize this part of T8. While it seems that this feature might be on the way in adherence to fan feedback, it would be wise for the next entry in the series to have this potentially fan-favorite option available at launch.

tekken 8 director breaks the unspoken rules
Related
Tekken 8 Director Broke an Unstated Rule at Bandai Namco

Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada reveals how he went against unspoken rules at Bandai Namco to continue leading the development of the series.

Tekken 8’s Character-Themed Main Menu is Due for a Big Update

Tekken 8 - Controls Menu

Harada Has Confirmed Menu Customization is a Possibility

When the title originally launched, Kazuya Mishima was shown in various close-ups while navigating the main menu. Not only did this serve to exemplify the graphical fidelity of T8, but it also fit with the relevance of Kazuya to the title's story and the overall franchise's legacy. There wasn't much buzz about menu customization until Eddy Gordo released for Tekken 8, at which point he was instead put into the same role. Following player requests to be able to heavily customize this screen, Harada explained the challenges in the way of this feature's implementation:

It makes sense that such high quality rendering of a fighter would require more work than simply popping them into the main menu, as the lighting of these shots would need to be catered to each one to maintain the same effect. With multiple tweets stating it could be coming in a future patch, however, Tekken 8 updates have the chance to set a new precedent.

The Main Menu of Tekken 9 Needs to Maintain T8’s Potential Innovation

Having Every Character Available Honors All Mains

It's an impressive display to have any fighter shown in the menu, but limiting this character to one who is changed every few months ultimately alienates players of every other option in the series' huge roster. While there's nothing wrong with building up hype for new Tekken 8 DLC, several outspoken players could benefit from the validation of seeing their main as soon as they boot up the game. In a franchise that is known for changes in presentation with each numbered title, however, this kind of design also shouldn't be forgotten when the next Tekken comes around.

There's sure to be many balance patches over what could be years of support for T8, but customizing the main menu is a concept already on the horizon which Bandai Namco would be wise in keeping for the eventual follow-up. No matter what the specific direction of Tekken 9 ends up being, learning from player feedback and having main menu showcase options on release is almost guaranteed to be a win which would go beyond any fighting game mode.