After decades of back and forth between the 2D and 3D sides of fighting games,Tekken 8stands as the last franchise of its subgenre with a notable presence in the industry. While its contemporaries have occupied a shared space while maintaining their statuses, Bandai Namco’s flagship fighting series has done right by the aspects of its design unseen in seemingly similar titles. Now a dominant force in the discourse around fighters as a whole,Tekken 8has accomplished the daunting task of proving that 3D fighting games still have a place in the modern market.
BeforeTekken 8’s early 2024 release,Tekken 7was practically the only majorly successful release in the entire subgenre during the 2010s, with other franchises failing to reach the same level of pop culture awareness. Theimpressive sales ofTekken 8have shown that fan interest hasn’t gone anywhere, but its viability also seems to have paved the way for more titles of its kind to accompany it in the future.
Tekken 8 Reveals the State of 3D Fighting Games in 2025
Over the past two decades, 3D fighters have seen a steep decline that’s difficult to ignore. After being a dominant force in the industry as a whole during a period when the subgenre was trending, names that were hyped amongfighting games of the early 2000shaven’t kept up the same level of long-term interest in subsequent console generations.Tekken 8especially sticks out due to this reality, as netting over two million sales within a month is an impressive feat regardless of genre.
Other 3D Fighters Have Begun to Fall into Obscurity
Titles that shareTekken’sgameplay stylemight not have achieved the same success as its newest release because their owners seemingly haven’t been motivated to keep new games in production. While their lack of representation could seem discouraging, it’s apparent thatTekken 8’s quality online play, relatively competitive balancing, and consistent post-launch support have proven its viability on a wide scale.
19 years/4 years(remaster)
7 years
Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive 6(2019)
6 years
Tekken 8 Has Kept the Genre Alive During a Crucial Period
The Precedent of the Only Major 3D Fighting Game on the Market
By existing alone in a market without any comparisons,Tekken 8has managed to keep the identity of 3D fighters alive among newer players. While the subgenres can often be conflated, these titles demand an entirely different approach to combat due to elements such as multi-dimensional spacing, sidestepping, and wall carrying. This can feel overwhelming and complicated toplayers ofStreet FighterorMortal Kombat, butTekken 8has held out against their latest entries while single-handedly holding up the 3D subgenre.
Theupcoming release ofVirtua Fighter 6is now expected to seeTekkenjoined by a worthy competitor, and it’s entirely possible that Sega was only confident enough to green-light this project after observing the potential thatTekken 8was able to fulfill. Although it may initially seem ironic, games of a similar type ultimately thrive from an area of the general market being dedicated to them. In a notable instance of this symbiosis thatTekkenhas supported, series creator Katsuhiro Harada expressed enthusiasm aboutVirtua Fighter 6’s reveal on X/Twitter:
