Fighting game fans won’t want to miss the opportunity to try out the next game in Bandai Namco’s legendary TEKKEN franchise. They officially announced that they will be holding a closed network test (CNT) for TEKKEN 8 in July and they are letting interested players sign up today to take part in the test.

The next title in the series promises to be the most visually stunning and visceral TEKKEN title yet. The game is introducing major new changes to combat that include a new “aggressive” fight system that encourages an offense-first play style, keeping the action at a high level by rewarding players who stay on the attack. Another first for the series is cross-play, raising the level of competition by allowing players to fight each other regardless of which platform they prefer. With the upcoming CNT, players are invited to experience “Ranked Matches” and play a part in helping influence key game mechanics and features coming to the sequel. 

During the CNT, they will feature online head-to-head competitive play with cross-platform matching. Testers will be able to choose from 16 playable characters including those previously revealed, with Jin, Kazuya, Jun, Paul, Law, King, Lars, Jack 8, Xiaoyu, Nina, Leroy, Lili, Asuka, Hwoarang, and Bryan, along with a new fighter made available for the CNT: Claudio. There will be five available stages: Urban Square, Yakushima, Rebel Hangar, Sanctum, and Arena.

Dates and session times for the TEKKEN 8 CNT are as follows:

• Week 1 – PlayStation 5 only

• July 21st 1:00 a.m. ～ July 24th 12:00 a.m. PDT

• (CNT is not playable due to maintenance on July 21st from 1:00 ~ 4:00 p.m. PDT)

• Week 2 – PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam

• July 28th starting at 1:00 a.m. to July 31st 12:00 a.m. PDT　

• (CNT is not playable due to maintenance on July 29th from 1:00 - 4:00 a.m. PDT)

Players who register for Week 1 tests on PlayStation 5 will also be able to participate in Week 2 sessions.

TEKKEN 8 is planned to release on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Will you be signing up for this special early access opportunity?