Tekken 8 Season 2 Balance Changes Spark Outrage, Pros Threaten Boycott, Steam Reviews Plummet

The Tekken 8 community is in uproar following the Season 2 update, which introduced several contentious changes to the game. According to the patch notes, there was an across-the-board increase in character damage potential and offensive pressure. This shift has led many fans to argue that the game has deviated significantly from the traditional Tekken experience.

Professional Tekken player JoKa expressed strong disapproval, stating that the Season 2 update has transformed the game to the point where "this does not feel like Tekken AT ALL." He elaborated on his concerns, criticizing the game for buffing characters, enhancing 50/50 situations, and introducing moves with little to no counterplay. JoKa also highlighted the removal of character weaknesses and identities through what he described as "lazy balancing," along with issues related to oki, heat, combo damage, sidesteps, and chip damage. He questioned the absence of promised defensive options, saying, "Where are the defensive options that were mentioned?"

T8 now hit the most negative reviews in a day since the day the Tekken Shop launched one year ago
byu/YourGameTVlol inTekken

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As expected, the Steam page for Tekken 8 has become a platform for players to voice their frustrations. The game has been inundated with over 1,100 negative reviews in the last two days, leading to a 'mostly negative' user review rating for recent reviews. Some of the standout comments include sentiments like, "Genuinely good game held back by schizophrenic insane developers sent from hell," and criticism over the new season's focus on offense without balancing defensive options. Another review lamented, "Not every character needs to be able to force 50/50 canned mixups constantly, but it seems like the balance team doesn't have any other ideas for how to build characters at this point."

The backlash has been so severe that some fans are turning to Capcom's Street Fighter 6, while others label Season 2 as the "worst patch in Tekken history." Professional players have even threatened to abandon Tekken 8 altogether. One such player, Jesandy, tweeted, "I don't know if I'll continue playing Tekken if this patch stays. I'm sorry for doomposting, but I thought it had a chance to be a better game. I'm just really sad. Like depressed. I streamed 70 hours of Tekken this past week to prep for s2 just to have those hopes shattered. Gn."

The community is now calling for action from the development team, with many hoping for a response to their grievances. Some are demanding a complete rollback of the patch, while others are pushing for an emergency follow-up patch to address the critical issues raised.