Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 was crowned The Best Fighting Game at the Game Awards 2024. Game Director Harada took to the stage.
Bandai Namco's Tekken 8 has come out victorious at The Game Awards 2024 by winning Best Fighting Game of 2024. Tekken 8 beat out the likes of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero and Multiversus to the award.
The victory at The Game Awards 2024 arrives just days after Bandai Namco crowned the first Tekken 8 World Champion at the Tekken World Tour in Japan.
Tekken 8 triumphs in expected victory
Tekken 8's victory as the Best Fighting Game 2024 realistically did not come as much of a surprise. It was the latest entry in the Tekken franchise in nine years, and by far the strongest FGC title released in the last year.
"Thank you to all the gaming and Tekken 8 community. Thanks to my development and marketing team in all regions," said Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken 8's Game Director. "We will continue to update and improve Tekken 8. So stay tuned, and don't ask me for [beeep]."
Tekken 8 released in February 2024 and sold 2 million copies within the first month. It launched with 32 base characters, and has so far introduced three of their four DLC characters for Season 1; Eddy, Lidia and Heihachi. The fourth and final Tekken 8 DLC character Final Fantasy's Clive Rosfield was announced during The Game Awards 2024.
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Best Fighting Game - Nominees at Game Awards 2024
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Marvel VS Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
- Multiversus
- Tekken 8
Game | Publisher | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero | Spike Chunsoft | October 8, 2024 |
| Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising | Arc System Works, Cygames | December 11, 2023 |
| Marvel VS Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics | Capcom | September 11, 2024 |
| Multiversus | Player First Games | May 28, 2024 |
| Tekken 8 | Bandai Namco | January 26, 2024 |
What sets Tekken 8 apart
Tekken 8 introduced additional revolutionary tools for FGC players to improve their skills. The replay system in Tekken 8 allows you to take over your character mid-replay to react differently to a tricky mix-up. The replay system also gives you tips of how you could have dodge, blocked or punished your enemies better.
Meanwhile, the Super Ghost Battle mode grants you the opportunity to practise against an AI ghost of yourself. The Ghost learns and improves as it fights against you or from analysing your matches online. While a ghost mode has existed in previous FGC titles including Tekken 7, Tekken 8's Super Ghost Battle took it to a new level.
On top of all these features, Tekken 8 also had a compelling story mode, a vast selection of character customization options and... Tekken Ball. Because... why not?
Despite some controversy around the release of Genmaji Temple Stage and an initially underwhelming selection of rewards in the first Fight Pass, Bandai Namco rode the storm. With news of Clive Rosfield and the hint of Anna in Season 2, the Best Fighting Game of 2024 is looking strong heading into 2025.
