Tekken 8 Welcomes Heihachi Mishima as Third DLC Character

Tekken 8 announced that Heihachi Mishima will be added to the Fall 2024 roster as the third DLC character, during the EVO 2024 event.

Heihachi's story ended during Tekken 7 and was missing from the sequel's roster launch.

Bandai Namco Brings Back Heihachi for Tekken 8

Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada and Kohei Ikeda shared that Tekken 7 focused too much on the story between Heihachi and Kazuya, leading them to the decision to conclude the arc. However, they saw the fans' reaction and wanted to increase the engagement even more.

"And as that was happening, we were kind of feeling that the players kind of missed him as well. Obviously, we did, too. So, it was kind of decided later on that we would do that," Harada explained.

The studio also revealed that they have been teasing Heihachi's return. For instance, the 30th anniversary logo had a silhouette of Heihachi's face, symbolizing the team's effort to prepare for his comeback.

Tekken 8 Fans Prep for First DLC Surprises

Prior to the recent announcement, Bandai already revealed that Eddy Gordo and Lidia Sobieska will be joining the upcoming DLC roster. The team will be adding a new story chapter called "The Dark Awakens" along with the introduction of Heihachi.

Bandai also unveiled a new partnership with Nike, allowing fans to get Tekken 8-themed Nike Air Foamposite Ones. The merch will be available in September for $250.

Tekken 8 made its official debut earlier this year and is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The new chapter, which will focus on the fight between Kazama and Mishima families, will soon be available as a free update for all players.