Tekken 8 Battle Pass: What’s in store for you?

Bandai Namco is preparing another means of monetization for Tekken 8 – this time via a battle pass – sparking fresh controversy amongst longtime fighting game fans. This follows microtransactions being introduced earlier this month.

The Tekken Fight Pass Arrives April 1st

In a recent Tekken Talk developer stream, Bandai Namco confirmed that Tekken 8 will get a new “Tekken Fight Pass” battle pass with its version 1.03.01 release. This paid track will see players unlock perks such as cosmetic upgrades for completing daily and weekly challenges in the online modes of the game.

Pricing for the Tekken Fight pass has not been announced, but a USD 9.99 or USD 10 price tag would be comparable to typical battle Pass prices across other major titles. Regardless of cost, a battle pass system is another major monetization route in Tekken 8 that has ruffled players’ concerns.

Microtransactions 1 and 1 Season Pass Already Available

Already before its February 28th, 2024 release, Tekken 8 was confirmed to feature an in-game microtransaction – enabled cosmetic store. Then in mid-March, paid character DLC began rolling out via a USD 29.99 season pass.

With the new battle pass bringing that same amount of monetization to the table, Tekken 8 looks to have a lot of paid content stacked on top of its USD 69.99 base price. Such a trifecta of monetization avenues is certainly not something you’ll find in a typical premium fighter.

Player Backlash Rises Against “Scummy” Practices.

The decision to add a battle pass has sparked backlash from Tekken players on Reddit and other community forums. Many are complaining about what they perceive as too aggressive and predatory monetization strategies:

One Redditor in the r/Tekken subreddit wrote: “A f2p model in a full-priced game is beyond scummy.

Another top comment states “You gotta say WAITING to tell about MTX and Battle Pass is scummy, regardless of pricing.”

“Tekken now has a battle pass, I don’t know what to think…” a third player laments.

It’s a spirited debate that gets at the heart of moral business models and consumer-friendly practices in modern gaming.

Bandai Namco Opposes To Rising Development Costs

Meanwhile, Bandai Namco has insisted that rising production costs require new revenue streams to continue developing Tekken 8 and its live service model.

Against early microtransaction backlash, director Katsuhiro Harada previously stated that “Tekken 8 was almost triple as expensive to develop as Tekken 7.” “People would like the game to run and be supported for a long time,” he said. It costs money to continually update the game.”

But players are still skeptical that battlepasses, microtransactions, * and * A premium season pass are really necessary to keep Tekken 8 alive as a live service game when many other major franchises employ more consumer-friendly monetization models.

It Will Be Time To See If They Follow Through On The Monetization Or Not

The inclusion of a battle pass is bound to be a controversial decision regardless of pricing or rewards. Bandai Namco is squarely in the middle of the ongoing debate over proper monetization practices for USD 70 premium games.

Tekken has been among the “big three” fighting game franchises for several decades, however, this brand new monetization move is a strategic turn. Will fans flock towards or away from Tekken 8 as a result? With the Tekken Fight Pass system going live next week with the arrival of DLC fighter Eddy Gordo on April 4, only time will tell.

How do you guys feel about the increasing monetization on Tekken 8? Leave a note in the comments if battlepasses are a bridge too far, or if you think Bandai Namco’s approach is reasonable and reasonable in light of current development realities.