How To Fix Tekken 8 Fatal Error [Steam Deck, PC]

Tekken 8 is finally released, and I couldn’t be more excited to jump in. Sadly, the game barely works. When players enter an Online Match in Tekken 8, the game crashes with or without a Fatal Error. So, any ranked action is pretty much locked out. The problem, in my opinion, comes from the game trying to access protected memory or simply issues in the matchmaking servers.

The latter is more likely, as cross-platform play is new to the game. Honestly, I can’t say this is not disappointing after the excellent demo. But, whatever the case is, I have a few methods to get you back to smooth sailing. 

Use The Proton Hotfix

Steam Deck essentially runs Linux in the form of SteamOS. But, as we know, gaming on Linux is, for the lack of better words, garbage. So, this is where Proton comes in. It does the work of a translator, enabling games not being offered for the operating system. But, as new games drop, so do problems like the Fatal Error.

However, fixes are also deployed by Valve just as quickly. So, if you are using a Steam Deck, I suggest applying the Proton Hotfix, as it has been a prevalent solution in the community. Here’s the process to do so:

1. Download Proton Hotfix:
   • Open the Steam Store > Go to Tools.
   • Search Proton Hotfix > Press Install.

     

2. Apply it to Tekken 8:
   • Go to Tekken 8’s Game Page > Press the Gears Icon on the far-right.
   • Go to Properties > Compatibility Tab > Tick the Force-Use Checkbox.

     

   • Choose Proton Hotfix from the drop-down > Relaunch Tekken 8.

Run Tekken 8 As Admin With Windows 8 Compatibility

Games developed in Unreal Engine, like Tekken 8, frequently encounter problems like the Fatal Error. From my understanding, this has to do something with the CPU. The mind-bending thing is that in 6 out of 10 such games, running the game in Windows 8 compatibility mode resolves the problem.

It’s hard to pinpoint if this is a problem from Unreal Engine or the developers. In any case, I highly recommend giving it a shot, as it has been effective for many players.

Here’s the process to do so:

1. Go to your Tekken 8 Directory > Locate ‘Tekken 8.exe.’
2. Right-click on the Executable > Click Properties > Switch to the Compatibility Tab.
3. Click on the Compatibility Mode Checkbox > Select Windows 8 from the Options.

   

4. Check the Run as an Admin Checkbox > Click OK.

Relaunch the game to see if the issue persists.

Turn Crossplay Off

Crossplay has been a newly introduced feature in Tekken 8. So, it is still in its infancy for the franchise. Furthermore, matchmaking servers are still involved despite the game working on the peer-to-peer model. This is why I suggest you turn it off for the time being.

This will limit matchmaking to your platform, potentially fixing the Fatal Error in Tekken 8.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to Options from the Main Menu > Choose Game Options Settings.
2. Turn Cross-Platform Play Off.

   

Whitelist Tekken 8 in Antivirus

Lastly, I suggest whitelisting Tekken 8 in your Antivirus Program. They have been notorious when it comes to false flagging game files. The problem is that the files are either removed or quarantined when this happens. If the game doesn’t have the files it needs, then errors like the one we have on our hands will be commonly thrown.

So, it would be a good idea to do so. This will make the AV not bother the directory anymore, fixing the issue. Once done, verifying the file integrity of Tekken 8 will be a good idea to repair any already-done damage.

My Thoughts 

With roughly 600 hours in Tekken 7, I was excited to delve into the new installment. However, the experience hasn’t been great. This is not an exaggeration either, as the game is tailored for online play and crashes when doing precisely that. Sadly, the problems are happening regardless of the platform as well.

Anyone else getting massive Fatal Errors when trying to play Tekken 8 on PC? I finally got to the point where i could get in the lab and adjust my video settings, but then i tried to login to a ranked game and it gave me a fatal error AGAIN.

— Poppacap48 (@Poppacap48) January 26, 2024

Resultantly, players have been rightfully frustrated. What makes this worse is that Fatal Error, in particular, has been widespread. This is easy to see with the numerous reports on Steam, Reddit, UnrealEngine, GameFaqs, and LinusTechTips Forums. 

Attention fighters!

Matchmaking issues have now been fixed and your online experience should now be much smoother.

Thank you for your patience 🤜🤛

— TEKKEN (@TEKKEN) January 26, 2024

The good thing, however, is that the Official Tekken Twitter account quickly notified the community that a fix was on the way. Eventually, the problem on the server side was patched as well. But, while this has reduced the intensity, the issue is still happening.

So, until a rock-solid update is dropped, I am fully confident in the methods discussed in the article. Further, they are not hard to apply, so I don’t believe you will have any problems.