With the new Tekken releasing around the end of January, a common question that has been floating around is – “will Tekken 8 be crossplay?” Here’s the answer!
The highly anticipated sequel to one of the most legendary fighting game franchises – Tekken – is set to release on January 26, 2024. Tekken 8 will be released on all major platforms, like the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. However, fans of the game are still left with one burning question – will Tekken 8 be crossplay? Worry not, we have some good news! We will give you the definitive answer to that question in this article.
Will Tekken 8 Be Crossplay?
Yes, Tekken 8 will be crossplay as confirmed by the developers of the game! The director of Tekken 8, Katsuhiro Harada, as he was responding to a fan’s question, confirmed that Tekken 8 will support crossplay across all platforms. This is a monumental moment for the fighting game franchise as this will be the first time the players will be allowed to face off against people from other consoles or PCs.
What is Crossplay and Why is It Important?
Cross-platform play, or crossplay for short, is an online gaming functionality that lets players play with other players regardless of the gaming hardware they used. For instance, let’s say you are playing The Finals on PC and want to invite your friend who is playing on a PS5 into your game. By enabling the crossplay feature in the game’s settings menu, you can do exactly that. Moreover, you can also play against other players who don’t have the same game system as you, i.e. PS5 players vs. Xbox Series players.
This feature has become an integral part of online gaming as of 2023 as it ensures the longevity of a title. An added bonus is that having this feature also enables players to get matches much faster as the server can pull from a larger player base.
Why Has Crossplay Not Been Introduced in Tekken Until Now?
Credit: PC Gamer
When speaking on the matter, Harada revealed that he had proposed to implement crossplay in the previous generation of consoles for Tekken 7. Unfortunately, his proposal was rejected as both Sony and Microsoft turned him down due to conflicting interests and concerns over security. But as gaming technology evolved and became more accessible, the platform holders changed their stance on crossplay support for games.
Does Tekken 8 Have Cross-progression?
No, Tekken 8 does not have cross-progression as of the time of writing. But all hope is not lost! While Tekken 8’s inclusion of crossplay is a significant landmark for the franchise, enabling cross-progression could be another big breakthrough as it will allow players to carry over their game progression and character customizations across different platforms. Furthermore, given how common cross-progression is becoming in the gaming industry, it would not come as a surprise that the feature is later added to the game through an update.
What Other Features Will Tekken 8 Have in Store?
Apart from the massive roster of playable characters and the newly introduced heat-mechanic, Tekken 8 will also feature a rollback netcode, which would be a huge improvement of the game’s online functionality. This will allow players from all over the world to battle against each other without having to worry about game lag or stutters caused by poor network connectivity.
Ending Thoughts
Ever since the announcement of Tekken 8 at Evo 2022, fans have been eagerly waiting for the day when they could get their hands on the game. That patience seems to have paid off as the game will be launching in just a couple of weeks. Not only that, the game will also offer some quality-of-life improvements as well with the addition of crossplay and rollback netcode features, things fans have been asking for ages now! At this rate, Tekken 8 is looking to be one of the best fighting games of the year already. For more news, features, and coverage of Tekken 8, please visit ESTNN!