Tekken 8 Reveals When Heihachi Mishima is Coming to the Game

Tekken 8 confirmed that Heihachi Mishima, the iconic villain of the series, will be playable starting on October 1 for those who purchased the Player Character Year 1 Pass. Tekken 8 players looking to play as Heihachi separately from the character pass will have to wait until October 4 Eastern time to take up the mantle of the Mishima Clan patriarch.

During the Evo 2024 tournament in Las Vegas, Tekken 8 producer Katsuhiro Harada shocked the world by revealing that Heihachi Mishima survived a fateful encounter at the end of Tekken 7. The climactic battle between Heihachi and his son, Kazuya Mishima, resulted in the latter tossing his father into a pit of lava atop an active volcano. After the fight, Harada and other Tekken fans claimed that the leader of the Mishima Clan was completely dead. However, Heihachi's time in the grave was short-lived, as he was confirmed to return in Tekken 8 as the Autumn 2024 fighter of the Playable Character Year 1 Pass.

Thankfully, Tekken 8 players will not have to wait too much longer to play as the series' beloved villain. Starting October 1, Tekken 8 Playable Character Year 1 Pass holders will have early access to Heihachi Mishima as a playable fighter following a content update. Tekken 8 players who did not purchase the character pass will only have to wait a few days to play as Heihachi, as his official release as a DLC fighter begins October 4. The arrival of Heihachi Mishima in Tekken 8 was revealed in a gameplay trailer that showed the fan-favorite nemesis in action against various Tekken characters. Unsurprisingly, the banter between Heihachi and his son made light of their previous encounter, with Heihachi remarking that it would take more than a pool of lava to stop him.

Tuesday, October 1 (Early Access Via Year 1 Character Pass DLC)
Friday, October 4 (Official Release)

In the trailer, Heihachi showed off various combos against characters such as Lidia Sobieska and Eddy Gordo, who are also available in Tekken 8's character pass. Heihachi will have four costumes to pick from, including his signature black gi as the default option. A new battle stage called Genmaji Temple will be available as DLC, and a free story update called "Forgotten Echoes" will be included once Heihachi arrives in early October.