A mini-game that ended up being a surprise hit with Tekken fans, Tekken Ball, is coming back in Tekken 8. The game mode first appeared in 1998's Tekken 3. It returned only once more in 2012's Tekken Tag Tournament 2 on the Wii U.
Tekken Ball is a game mode that is essentially volleyball with fighting moves. A player deals damage to their opponent by landing a ball on the opponent's side of the play area or hitting their opponent directly with the ball. There isn't much to it, but it proved to be a big hit with fans who have been hopeful for its return for over a decade.
Tekken Ball will be featured inside the Tekken Fight Lounge, a lobby where players can hang out and interact with each other in a variety of ways.
In addition, Bandai Namco announced that there will be a new closed beta test for Tekken 8 coming soon. This test will include the Fight Lounge access and will let players test out the Battle Arena and Customization Shop. Despite having access to the Fight Lounge, Tekken Ball will not be included in this new test.
The new closed beta test runs from October 20 through October 23. It will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. The beta will include access to 19 characters.
Tekken 8 will be fully released on January 26, 2024.
