Harada Casually Confirms Tekken 8 To Feature Crossplay And Rollback Netcode

Two huge gameplay features unveiled just like that.

Story Highlights

  • Tekken 8 is an incredibly anticipated fighting game that’s scheduled to release sometime in 2023 or 2024. The franchise traces its very first release back to 1994, thereby creating a legacy of iconic fighting titles to date. 
  • Although the game looks exceptionally next-gen from a graphical perspective, no further details concerning the title’s gameplay have been outed yet. 
  • However, Katsushiro Harada, Bandai Namco front main and prominent fighting/action games director, has casually let it slip on Twitter that Tekken 8 will feature both crossplay and rollback netcode. 
  • The crossplay functionality means that players on different platforms will be able to play online together. Rollback netcode is an advanced gameplay feature that induces higher-quality online matchups by reducing latency. 

Didn’t really expect this coming, but Katsushiro Harada, the Tekken franchise’s long-time producer and current director, has casually let it slip on Twitter that the upcoming Tekken 8 will feature cross-platform play and rollback netcode. Both of these features are highly sought-after, given how they refine the quality of online matchups and make the overall experience feel more inclusive. 

While replying to an eager fan who inquired about crossplay being a possibility in Tekken 8, Harada-san replied with affirmation. He also went on to say how he tried for this functionality to be a part of Tekken 7 as well, but things couldn’t come to a mutual conclusion at that time. Anyhow, it’s a delight for the fighting game community to acknowledge the matter at hand, considering how Street Fighter 6 is following suit with crossplay as well.

The next confirmation also comes in the form of a tweet (never mind the follow-up part though), where Harada has referred to rollback netcode as having “already installed it.” Again, this is nothing but sheer satisfaction from the side of the developers. This functionality is geared toward an intuitive implementation of online play, where there are countermeasures to prevent delay and lag that ruin the overall experience. 

There are two main types of netcode variants that players have familiarized themselves with over time: Delay-based netcode and rollback netcode. The former is a relatively dated mechanic that not a lot of games implement on their end anymore. Rollback, however, is the next upgrade in line that handles the concept of latency differently. It makes the game make real-time input predictions to balance out any pertinent delay.

Tekken 7 didn’t start out with the feature in question right off the bat and eventually received it down the line. However, that particular point is a cause of unrest among fans in the community. Many criticize Tekken 7 for not actually having rollback netcode, given how the game shows typical signs of the pangs associated with delay-based netcode.

This is the reason why many, although happy, are still expressing their concerns over the implementation of rollback in Tekken 8. One comment says, “That’s great and all, but still waiting to hear that there will be rollback, not T7’s ‘rollback.’” The way tech and hardware is advancing in the industry, I presume it’s not a stretch to ask for rollback netcode and crossplay being a part of every fighting game moving forward.

In other news, Harada revealed key Tekken 8 details back in December while sitting down with Michael Murray—Harada’s translator and part of the Tekken developer team—during the TWT 2022: North America Regional Finals Twitch live stream. He confirmed that Jun Kazama would be making a return to Tekken 8. This was recently followed up by the character’s official reveal a week ago. 

YouTube video

Tekken 8 does not have a concrete release date yet but is highly speculated to release in 2023. In the past, an excerpt from a Bandai Namco financial report has mentioned this year to be the title’s official launch window, but don’t hold your breath on that front. The game is presumably skipping old-gen consoles and will only come out for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. 

Did you find this helpful? Leave feedback below.

Thanks! Do share your feedback with us. ⚡

How can we make this post better? Your help would be appreciated. ✍

Subscribe to our newsletter and get up-to-speed gaming updates delivered to your inbox.

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy.

Source
Twitter

John Rooney is a News Writer on eXputer who’s been keeping up with the gaming and technology industries since he was 14. If there’s a buzz in the industry, John’s news report will be among the first you’ll read on the internet. He’s got a Bachelor's in Journalism and has several years worth of experience reporting on the gaming industry. Experience: 6+ Years || Education: Bachelor's in Journalism || Published 200+ News Stories ||

Related Articles

Join Our Community

Enjoyed this article? Discuss the latest gaming news, get expert help with guides and errors, and chat about all things gaming on eXputer Forums and Discord Server. Connect with fellow gamers who share your passion by becoming a part of eXputer's community.