Bandai Namco's Tekken is one of the longest running fighting game franchises and has gone from strength to strength with every iteration. Its last entry, Tekken 7, proved to be massively popular worldwide, igniting the competitive spirit in seasoned fighting game players, and stoking the curiosity of newcomers with an interest in learning.

Eight years since its release, Tekken 7 has maintained its popularity, which makes the prospect of making a sequel daunting. And yet, a sequel is indeed on the way, with Tekken 8 being announced in September 2022. How does the team behind one of the most successful fighting games of the last few years approach clearing the table and doing it all over again? We asked longtime Tekken creator and director Katsuhiro Harada and producer Michael Murray about exactly that, as well as their take on the current state of the fighting game genre.

Bandai Namco's Tekken is one of the longest running fighting game franchises and has gone from strength to strength with every iteration. Its last entry, Tekken 7, proved to be massively popular worldwide, igniting the competitive spirit in seasoned fighting game players, and stoking the curiosity of newcomers with an interest in learning.