Tekken 8 Director Reveals One Tekken 7 Character That Likely Won’t Be Back

Tekken 8 Director Reveals One Tekken 7 Character That Likely Won't Be Back

Key Takeaways

  • Eliza from Tekken 7 is unlikely to return in Tekken 8 due to balancing difficulties.
  • Harada faced challenges tweaking Eliza’s stats, making her a tough character to balance.
  • Tekken 8’s DLC fighters include returning characters like Eddy Gordo and Lidia Sobieska.

As a dedicated Tekken fan with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen characters come and go, some more frustratingly than others. Eliza, the enigmatic vampire from Tekken 7, has been a source of both fascination and frustration for me.


Katsuhiro Harada, the director and producer of Tekken 8, has voiced concerns about Eliza’s character from Tekken 7 and Tekken Revolution, suggesting it might be challenging to reintroduce her due to certain difficulties, despite her popularity. Tekken 8 represents the newest installment in Bandai Namco’s popular fighting game series, transitioning the game to the latest generation of consoles. The roster for Tekken 8 features a balanced blend of new characters such as Reina, Victor, and Azucena, along with beloved veterans like Xiaoyu and Jin.

In excitement as a die-hard Tekken fan, I can’t help but share the news that Tekken 8 is set to introduce more fighters through DLC in 2024, with four characters joining the roster! So far, three characters have been unveiled – Eddy Gordo, Lidia Sobieska, and Heihachi Mishima, who are all making a comeback from Tekken’s rich history. As we head into winter, fans are eagerly speculating about the identity of the fourth DLC fighter, with theories suggesting it could be another classic character like Marduk or Fahkumram. Despite the anticipation, Katsuhiro Harada has recently shed some light on a potential pick – Eliza – and hinted that her return might not happen this time around.

Typically, Harada is quite lively on Twitter, engaging with fans, addressing some rumors, and occasionally offering insights about the development of Tekken to clear up confusion. One topic that arose was the possibility of Eliza’s comeback, a female vampire character who initially appeared playable in Tekken Revolution, later joining the roster as a downloadable fighter in Tekken 7. Although Harada holds Eliza in high regard, her balance proved challenging to manage.

Eliza Was Too Difficult to Balance in Tekken 7

Harada explains that adjusting Eliza’s battle-tuning staff was extremely challenging due to the significant impact of minor stat changes, making her either overpowered or underpowered. This laborious process of fine-tuning led Harada to question the worthiness of the endeavor, and the influx of complaints from tournament players further solidified this decision. Although some fans on Twitter were thrilled with the behind-the-scenes game info, many were disheartened to learn that Eliza’s return to Tekken may be postponed for a while.

In Tekken 7, Eliza was voted into the game through a poll, and her character style made her a high-execution player with vampire powers that allowed her to recover health. While many players enjoyed using Eliza, fighting against her was challenging due to smaller hitboxes on some attacks and combos missing, as well as mechanics that favored her against other characters. Given these difficulties, it’s reasonable why Harada and the developers might hesitate to bring Eliza back for Tekken 8.

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2024-11-25 00:14