Tekken 8 has confirmed that Kazuya Mishima, the original protagonist and now Tekken's biggest a**hole, will return. And like everyone else in the game, he's getting a visual overhaul, a few new moves, and a new Rage Art to finish his foes with style.
Kazuya was certainly expected as he was featured in the gameplay trailer at The Game Awards. This time, however, we get to see Kazuya lay a serious beatdown on his son, Jin Kazama. We get to see all the moves Kazuya mains have come to expect, including God Fists, Spinning Demon, and his Flash Punch combo, as well as some new ones that we might not have a name for yet.
Around the halfway point, Kazuya transforms into his Devil form to continue beating up his son. Finally, Devil Kazuya’s new Rage Art mixes up his Tekken 7 Rage Art, firing off his laser first, then punching Jin into the air before hammer-fisting him into the ground, and following that up with a heel-slam that drives him into the earth with an electric explosion.
Although Kazuya seems a little less demonic than in previous Tekken games, he still seems like a giant dick.
The other star of this trailer is the new Times Square arena. There's neon and massive LDC screens all over the place, with one showing the fight between Kazuya and Jin for some reason. The police have cordoned off the area as Kazuya drives his son through the concrete. One wonders exactly what the police will do if this rampaging devil turns on them.
Kazuya joins a star-studded cast of Tekken 8 veterans, including Jack, King, Law, Paul, Lars, and probably Jun, although we've so far only seen her in a cutscene and not in actual gameplay. The most recent character to be revealed was Nina, sporting a fresh new look and a somewhat shorter haircut than in previous games.
Tekken 8 is set to launch by March 2024, according to Bandai Namco's most recent financial report, although it could be sooner.