Tekken 8 release date leak wraps up a banner year for fighting game fans

22 August 2023 , 11:30

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The leaked date places the Tekken 8 release date mere weeks after the Tekken World Tour finals (Image: Bandai Namco)

Tekken 8's release date has leaked out, and if it turns out to be true then fighting game fans are being treated to one of the greatest years the genre has ever seen.

2023 has been a banger year for games overall, but fighting game fans are having an unprecedented year. First came Street Fighter 6 back in June which is a certified game of the year contender (getting a 5/5 in our Street Fighter 6 review), with Mortal Kombat 1 arriving next month on September 19, 2023 and the latest Arc System Works title Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising set to arrive on November 30, 2023.

Thanks to the ever-reliable leaker the Microsoft Store (via @ALumia_Italia) the fighting game scene is set to get even more crowded as Tekken 8 is set to hit on January 26, 2024, in an announcement that undoubtedly was intended for tonight's Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation (which is also set to have a new Mortal Kombat 1 reveal). Bandai Namco is known to release big titles in January most years with 2023 giving us One Piece Odyssey, with past titles like Taiko No Tatsujin: The Drum Master!, Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2, and Dragon Ball Z Kakarot all releasing during the first month of their respective years. Basically, we're pretty sure this is a legit date.

Historically the Tekken series hasn't been as leak-heavy as its contemporaries, but this new leak (and when things did leak for Tekken 7 Harada attempted to hypnotise the audience into forgetting any leaks). But this Tekken 8 release date leak is adding on top of a major roster leak for the game earlier this month.

Get ready for the next battle

While it narrowly misses out on the 2023 game lineup, the three most iconic fighting games all releasing a new entry in just over half a year is extremely exciting. Considering the Tekken World Tour 2023 finishes on January 14, 2024, it's a bit shocking to see Bandai Namco go straight into Tekken 8 less than two weeks after the finale of Tekken 7's competitive life.

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At the very least fighting game tournaments in 2024 will be the most exciting they've been in years with so many brand-new titles in the mix. Considering all but two games at Evo 2023 ended with a mirror match for the finals, new entries into the scene are well overdue. Let's just hope SNK also makes it with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves before June so next year's Evo can be even more exciting.

Scott McCrae