Tekken 8’s Steam ratings have taken a massive hit after Bandai Namco added a controversial new feature to the fighting game in its latest update…
Steam ratings have taken a nosedive after the controversial addition of the Battle Pass and microtransactions in Tekken 8’s latest update. The game was initially released in January to rave reviews from fans and critics. Along with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, it became one of the top-rated games of 2024.
While the game still receives primarily positive reception, its reception is significantly worse than it was at release due to some controversial post-release announcements regarding microtransactions.
Supplying full-priced triple-A games with microtransactions is a controversial gaming trend. Tekken 8 is another game that introduced these. It already sparked controversy when an in-game store feature was added at the end of February. Fans reviled the game for its introduction. Especially since it was offered at a full, new standard price of $70. Fans were even more outraged when the Battle Pass was announced. The dislike is also reflected in the latest reviews of the game.
Following Tekken 8’s latest update, some of the reviews recently posted on the game’s Steam page were negative, with the score downgraded to “mixed” out of 3,135 reviews.
True, out of over 16,000 reviews, the game still has a “very positive” rating. But fans use Steam reviews to voice their grievances against Bandai Namco and criticize the publisher’s recent decisions.
What are the negative reviews of Tekken 8 mostly about?
Many of the negative reviews dealt with Tekken 8’s in-game store and the recently released battle pass. And some users have called Bandai Namco greedy for being sneaky by including these features. Users also criticized Bandai Namco for prioritizing the game’s monetisation, which already costs $70, over solving other problems. For example, the number of angry quitters during matches or balance issues with Tekken 8’s roster and mechanics.
One user even voiced that Bandai Namco took down fan-made Tekken 8 mods instead of balancing the game, calling it “ridiculous” as well.
According to fans, the crux of the problem was Bandai Namco’s failure to be open about the game’s microtransactions and Battle Pass before release. Instead, he delayed announcing and building it until after the release, when fans had already bought the game. The director of Tekken 8 explained why the in-game store was introduced. But that hasn’t stopped fans from voicing their concerns about these controversial practices.
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