It's not the first time the Tekken 8 community is craving for Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy 7) as a playable character in the Tekken franchis. And Prodcuer Katsuhiro Harada responded how to get her with a troll-like but also a serious answer!
After the release of a fighting game is before the announcement of the next DLC character, or something along the line, right? The Tekken 8 community is already peering into the future, speculating on potential additions to the character roster and pondering who might be the next crossover character.
With a variety of guest characters from different franchises already present in the Tekken franchise, such as Negan from The Walking Dead, Akuma from Street Fighter, and Noctis from Final Fantasy 15, the idea of Final Fantasy 7 characters joining the roster isn't far-fetched.
Tifa Lockheart from Final Fantasy 7 is particularly requested by fans, and Tekken 8 producer Katsuhiro Harada has finally acknowledged this demand!
Tekken 8 Producer Answers The Request After Tifa
To clarify from the outset, the initial response to Tifa's numerous requests carries a slightly adds a touch of troll-like humor to the mix, but that's just Harada for you. Here is his answer:
Let me tell you how to Unlock.
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) February 18, 2024
First, you need to become friends with Shinji Hashimoto-san, then if you can convince Tetsuya Nomura-san, then you can Unlock. https://t.co/P7fdhDryeu
After the community couldn't help and see a possible opportunity in getting her as a guest-character, they reached out to Harada once more if they could help make her a reality in Tekken 8. Thus, Harada responded with a more serious tweet:
First of all, as explained earlier, online petitions are not very effective. Compared to that, a large number of documents hand-delivered by fans with handwritten signatures is still more effective.But in any case, the signatures are not authentic. because although they are numerous, their enthusiasm is not genuine.
He emphasized the significance of receiving fan letters as a creator and discussed how they influenced both him personally and the development of the game he was involved in.
However, receiving enthusiastic letters from all over the world on a daily basis has a significant impact on the awareness of the development team, making it easier to talk about within the company and attracting the attention of management.
Ultimately, nothing is set in stone and if it's going to happen, it will still take some time. However, considering the highly anticipated release of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth on February 29 for PS5, the chance of her becoming a guest character is definitely on the table.