Tekken 8 showed off two new fighters at EVO 2023, but these additions have told us more than they seem.
Two more entrants to the Tekken 8 roster were shown off over the weekend, but their appearance has shown off more than a typical character reveal would.
What looks like Tekken 7’s final year at EVO came to a fitting conclusion as Pakistan’s Arslan Ash took home his fourth EVO championship in the game in his sixth EVO appearance for Tekken 7. He took home the title by comfortably taking down Japan’s Akihiro “Ao” Abe 3-0 in a Kunimitsu mirror match to cap off the Grand Finals â continuing the running trend of EVO 2023 finals being mirror matches as Mortal Kombat 11, King of Fighters 15, Melty Blood, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 all ended with the same characters facing off.
As we’ve come to expect from EVO finals, Katsuhiro Harada made an appearance before Top 6 to make an announcement. First to the bat was the announcement of the Tekken World Tour 2023 finals in New Orleans. But he knew people were here to see new Fighters for Tekken 8. First to the plate was everyone’s favourite Wesley Snipes rip-off Raven, making his return after being absent in Tekken 7.
This was followed up by the announcement of Tekken 8’s first newcomer â the ‘Peruvian coffee queen’ Azucena. In what’s possibly the most relatable Tekken character, she’s all about the coffee, with remarks about it being all over the trailer (even leading to the classic Coffee Vs Tea debate with Lili) and even a comical coffee ad seemingly being a part of her Rage Art. Azucena looks to be Miguel’s replacement, sharing some moves with the Spanish fighter while holding a far more pleasant demeanour like Tekken 7’s Josie. Her moveset revolves around split-second dodges â presumably thanks to her heightened senses due to excess caffeine consumption (like Fry in that one episode of Futurama). Basically, I’ve got a new main.