Bandai Namco General Manager Katsuhiro Harada and Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda announced another Tekken World Tour for the 2023 season at the live Tekken World Tour 2022 Finals. They returned with an in-depth Tekken 8 presentation that unveiled the Heat system, Nina Williams, and new healing mechanisms after leaving the stage and upsetting the live audience.

The majority of the presentation is devoted on the Heat system, which distinguishes Tekken 8 from its predecessors. This concept brings complexity and depth to the Tekken sandbox. Its long-term objective is to make plays easier for new players to grasp while giving veterans more influence over the moment-to-moment action.

For the first time, this gaming presentation revealed showcased the in-game UI, while earlier disclosures were primarily cinematic teases devoid of real gameplay. The Heat system coexists with a new healing mechanic inspired from Bloodborne, of all games. By blocking powerful assaults, each fighter might suffer grey health, and the only way to cure that grey health is to be aggressive and land your own hits.

Tekken 8 will also have Arcade and Special control schemes, which are intended to offer a pickup and play control system for novice players to grasp. You can smoothly switch between the sophisticated Arcade controls and the new Special controls by using a controller shortcut. In Tekken 8, players will be able to employ the Special controls in narrative mode as well as offline vs internet competitive modes.

At the end of the presentation, they did not disclose a firm release date for Tekken 8, but they did announce in-person closed alpha tests for several tournaments across the world. The initial sign-ups and alpha tests will be place between March 31 and April 2 at EVO Japan 2023. The presentation concluded with a clip for Nina Williams, a fan favorite assassin.