Tekken 8 — Lidia Revealed Alongside Major Update Roadmap
Apr 29, 2024
EVO is the perfect place for fighting game reveals and this year's EVO Japan has not disappointed in that regard. It's safe to say that just about everyone was expecting some kind of announcement from the Tekken 8 team, but they've gone above and beyond said expectations. Not only did we get a character reveal, but they've also provided a basic outline for planned updates up until autumn. What's even better is that a lot of the new, major content is completely free for all players. Amidst a decent amount of controversial updates, Tekken 8 has definitely needed to regain the confidence of its players. These promises alone might not do that, but it's a step in the right direction.
New Challenger, Lidia Sobieska (Plus, A New Stage)
The Polish prime minister is back. Debuting in Tekken 7's fourth season of DLC, Lidia is still a relatively new character to the series. While she was hardly ever an uber popular character, I think many would still agree that her playstyle alone merited a roster spot in Tekken 8. A fast, pressure-heavy character, her naturally aggressive style will fit Tekken 8 perfectly. Her character reveal didn't show off any gameplay, though, so we'll have to wait a bit to see how she's been designed for this game.
Lidia's character reveal also offered us a short look at the new stage, Seaside Resort. Setting-wise, it is highly reminiscent of Tekken 7's Island Paradise; though, this new stage is most definitely its own thing. Seaside Resort will come in three variations: Day, Sunset, and Evening. The stage will be released as part of a free update in the summer.
Other Future Plans
Aside from Lidia and the new stage, there's actually a lot more in store for Tekken 8 in the near future. The most immediate update that is soon to come is a major character balance patch. Patch notes for update 1.0.4 will be available as soon as tomorrow, April 30, 2024, so that wait won't be long at all. Further ahead is the summer update which will include the new stage, Seaside Resort, as well as a new Photo Mode. With how beautiful the visuals are in Tekken 8, I'd say that this has been a long time coming. From what little we've seen in preview pictures, it looks like you'll be able to have a lot of freedom with the camera. That alone will make it perfect for just about everyone's needs and you'll also be able to add some effects to your photos.
The most expensive update (for the developers, at least) will happen in autumn with a new story chapter being added. For now, it's unclear if it really is just a single chapter that will be added considering that we were previously told that all DLC characters from this season would be getting featured within new story content. There's really no way to know until we hear more about what's within this story down the line. Other miscellaneous features that will be added are an Online Practice mode and a Ghost vs Ghost battle mode. There's no timetable on either of these yet so your guess is as good as mine when it comes to a potential release date.
There's a lot to look forward to no matter what type of player you are. Although Tekken 8 has undoubtedly been plagued with microtransactions over the past few months, clearly there's still plenty of regard for players who don't want to spend any extra money on the
game. But if you do want to spend some more money...well, Lidia will more than likely be totally worth it.
