Huge Tekken 8 breakdown stream confirms Nina, closed alpha test

Bandai Namco has published an in-depth breakdown of Tekken 8, confirming Nina Williams as a returning character, and plans for an in-person alpha test.

On Sunday, the publisher streamed a 36-minute breakdown of the fighting sequel’s gameplay mechanics, including its heat system, rage system, and recovery gauge.

In addition to the stream, Bandai Namco published a trailer introducing Nina Williams for the first time. Nina has been a Tekken mainstay since the original game in 1994.

Finally, Bandai Namco confirmed a closed alpha test for Tekken 8 will be taking place across multiple locations globally, in order to gather feedback on the new battle systems introduced in the game.

The first closed alpha test will be held at Evo Japan next month. In order to participate, players will need to apply via s special website which will be opening later in February.

Tekken 8 was first officially announced in September, during a PlayStation State of Play livestream.

The reveal video showed gameplay footage of Jin fighting Kazuya on the side of a volcano, footage that Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada stressed was running in real-time.

Further reading

A new Tekken 8 gameplay trailer has been released

The trailer also reveals more about the game's plot

“We are very excited to show the next generation of Tekken,” Harada said at the time.

“The team at Bandai Namco Studios has been hard at work to bring groundbreaking new features to Tekken 8, pushing the feeling of power in battles continuously further by harnessing the power of the latest generation of consoles. We can’t wait to show you more in the months to come.”