Bandai Namco surprises fans with new Tekken teaser at EVO 2022

Featuring genre-defining games like Street Fighter, Tekken and many others, EVO 2022 has finally come to an end, delivering some of the craziest moments in the history of fighting games. At the event, countless passionate professional gamers competed against one another in thrilling matches across various titles.

On top of that, various new game reveals have further sweetened the experience. This includes a tease for a brand new entry in from Bandai Namco's iconic fighting game franchise. The surprise came at the end of a Tekken 7 balance update video showcased at the event, featuring the iconic fighter Kazuya Mishima.

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What does Bandai Namco have in store for Tekken fans?

The teaser began with a low poly esthetic, a throwback to the original entry in the series on the PS1. It features Kazuya dropping his father Heihachi off a cliff in vengeance, following which the camera zooms onto his face for his signature smirk. This gives way to a cutting edge, highly detailed rendition of Kazuya with a red glowing eye, a sinister implication of the devil within him. This was immediately followed by the words "GET READY".

Although there have been rumors of a remake, this does not seem like it since Kazuya's character model is a brand new one entirely. There is nothing else to go on besides speculation that it is the next entry in the long-running series, that is, Tekken 8. However, considering they have not shared any further details, the game is probably a long way from being released.

Other significant news included a balance patch featuring adjustments and bug fixes for Tekken 7 to further refine its gameplay and characters, which is nothing particularly mind-blowing as this is the norm for the title. The free update will go live on August 17, 2022. The Japanese publisher has also announced a date for the Global Finals for the Tekken World Tour 2022, which will take place in 2023 from February 4-5 in Amsterdam. Clearly, there's something more for eager fighting game fans to look forward to.

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What is Tekken 7 about?

Similar to previous entries from the franchise, it is a 3D arena fighter pitting various zany characters in exciting 1v1 battles. A story-driven campaign returns, revolving around the war between Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation. Many familiar characters make an appearance, like Heihachi, King II, and Marshall Law; however, new characters like Leroy Smith spice up the roster and even those from other game franchises like Noctis from Square Enix's Final Fantasy XV.

Originally released back in 2015 on arcades, it has seen a massive dedicated playerbase continue to push the game further up the ranks in the fighting game scene. As of now, it is one of the most renowned names in the genre, standing proudly alongside legendary peers like Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat 11, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The game made its way to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2017, and the 3D fighter continues to impress many today with its complex battle system and varied characters.