Tekken 8 Director Slams Fan Over Anna Williams' New Look: 'Unconstructive and Pointless'

Veteran fighter Anna Williams is making a comeback in Tekken 8, and while her updated appearance has been warmly received by the majority of fans, some have taken to social media to express their reservations, with a few even likening her new look to that of Santa Claus.

In response to a fan's request to revert to Anna's older design, Tekken's game director and chief producer, Katsuhiro Harada, took a firm stance against the criticism. "If you prefer the old design, I am not taking those away from you," Harada stated. He emphasized that while a vast majority of fans—98%, according to him—are embracing the new design, there will always be dissenters. He went on to highlight the availability of past works featuring the old design and criticized the fan for claiming to speak for all Anna enthusiasts, suggesting that such opinions should be voiced as personal views rather than collective demands. Harada further rebuked the fan's threat to quit if the design wasn't changed back, pointing out the unconstructive nature of the argument and its disrespect to other fans eagerly anticipating the new Anna.

When another commenter criticized the lack of rereleases of older Tekken games on modern systems with functional netcode and called Harada's response a "joke," the director retorted sharply, labeling the comment as "POINTLESS" and the commenter as "the joke," before muting them.

The reaction to Anna's new design has largely been positive, with some fans expressing their approval. Redditor AngryBreadRevolution, for instance, appreciated the new, edgier look, expressing satisfaction with the design aligning with their vision of an Anna seeking vengeance. However, not all feedback was glowing. Some fans, like troonpins and Cheap_Ad4756, critiqued specific elements such as the white feathers and the overall youthful appearance, which they felt diminished the character's mature and dominatrix vibe. Spiralqq went as far as to call the design "horrible," criticizing the overuse of accessories and the Santa-like appearance of the coat.

Despite these mixed reactions, Tekken 8 has achieved remarkable commercial success, selling 3 million copies within a year of its release—a faster pace than its predecessor, Tekken 7, which took a decade to reach 12 million units sold globally.

In IGN's Tekken 8 review, the game received a high score of 9/10, with praise for its innovative tweaks to the classic fighting system, engaging offline modes, compelling new characters, robust training tools, and enhanced online experience. The review concluded that Tekken 8 honors its legacy while pushing the series forward, making it a standout title in the fighting game genre.