Tekken 8, the latest in Bandai Namco’s fighting game series, is in hot water. Fans are experiencing heavy dismay over recent monetization issues, and expressed their backlash through spamming negative reviews. The video game’s recent ratings have now plummeted down to “Mostly Negative” on Steam. What could have gotten players so riled up?
A Series of Heavy Backlash
Earlier this year in April, Tekken 8 faced criticism for introducing Fight Pass—a Battle Pass feature that is commonly only added to free-to-play titles to boost the otherwise small revenue. However, Tekken 8 is not free and fans in fact have to spend a hefty 69.99 USD in order to get the base game. Additions like a battle pass and other monetized features are thus valid reasons for the anger of fans.
After a few months, the outrage over the Fight Pass has finally started to cool down, and fans have become a lot more welcoming toward the feature. Such unfortunate timing for Tekken 8 as it creates yet another monetization controversy through a new paid DLC.
The Heart of the Outrage
The current commotion centers on the new Genmaji Temple stage priced at 4.99 USD. This new arena isn’t included in the season pass or the 110 USD Ultimate Edition. However, many fans argue that it should have been an inclusion for either of the former features as both felt lacking in content, and the season pass specifically was expected to cover future additions to the game.
In addition, the previous stage featuring the addition of a new Tekken character, Lidia Sobieska, was given for free, making the new stage look more like a blatant attempt to cash grab. The DLC, despite its small price, lacks value for most players because of its principle. They felt that it was unnecessarily monetized and is “predatory”, possibly an attempt to get players so used to microtransactions until it becomes a “normalized” behavior.
The Good Ol’ Review-Bomb
As a result, fans expressed their ire on social media platforms and even started yet again another review-bombing campaign on Steam. Review-bombing is a well-known tactic among fan communities with the aim to spam negative reviews on the game. This is supposed to get the attention of the developers and subsequently get them to listen. Alternatively, this will scare off new players and hurt the game’s future sales.
At this point, Tekken 8 should (although they probably already did) have seen it coming. Now, Bandai Namco is seen by many players as greedy, only caring about profit over player satisfaction.
Sentiments from the Other Side
To be fair, game development isn’t cheap. Industry vet Del Walker revealed that a single Tekken 8 stage can cost a whopping $350,000 to create. With fighting games being a niche market, companies often turn to aggressive monetization to turn a profit.
Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada even apologized for the situation through a now deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), explaining the complex relationship between developers and publishers. He said that there are things that go outside the developers control when handled by the publishers. This disconnect may result in moves that may look profit-centered and do not consider the opinions of the playerbase. While some appreciated his honesty, it wasn’t enough to calm the storm.
Meeting Halfway: Hope for Reconciliation
The Tekken 8 negative reviews may have been viewed by players as their best shot in getting their opinions heard. If Bandai Namco can find a way to keep the lights on without alienating their passionate fan base, it may recover the lost trust and build a better connection moving forward. After all, fans have the willingness to support the game they love, but expect fair treatment in return.
While riddled with backlash and fan demands, Tekken 8 beyond that is a game well-loved for its core gameplay, visuals, and newcomer-friendly features. Finding a balance between financial sustainability and player satisfaction may draw more love for the franchise without microtransactions souring the experience.
