Bandai Namco has revealed gameplay trailers for two more fighters joining the roster for its upcoming anticipated fighting game, Tekken 8. Both Asuka Kazama and Leroy Smith have been confirmed to appear in the starting lineup of characters and thanks to the new trailers, we have an idea of how they’ve evolved since Tekken 7 in movesets, combos and finishers.
Asuka Kazama joined the Tekken series as part of the new generation of fighters alongside Jin Kazama, Hwoarang and Ling Xiaoyu. A relative of Jin (though it’s unclear exactly how), Asuka’s lineage falls on Jun’s side of the family. Her new gameplay in Tekken 8 teases familiar combos but thanks to the new Heat System, there’s enough mix-ups and aggressive rushes to satisfy fans of the fighter.
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Meanwhile, Leroy Smith made his first appearance as a DLC fighter for Tekken 7 though it seems like he’ll be part of the main lineup this time. Known for breaking the previous game thanks to his swift counters, Bandai Namco quickly rebalanced Leroy in subsequent updates. However, his stylish moves and parries are still present in Tekken 8, judging by the gameplay trailer. As a funny side-note, Leroy is introduced in the trailer as the “Grandmaster of Drip.”
Last week, Bandai Namco revealed gameplay trailers for both Jun Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu. It’s likely that we’ll begin to see more trailers for new fighters arrive over the next few weeks and hopefully, it leads to a release date announcement.
As for when it could happen, our best guess is June. Gaming events like Summer Game Fest and the rumoured PlayStation Showcase could host a release date reveal for Tekken 8. At the moment, Bandai Namco plans to release the anticipated fighting game before April 2024 though it’s possible that it could arrive much sooner than we think.
Tekken 8 is currently in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out the trailers for Asuka Kazama and Leroy Smith below:
Source: Bandai Namco
