Tekken 8 Developers Tease Additional Final Fantasy Fighters Following Clive

Clive Rosfield is now playable in Tekken 8, marking the first fighter in the game from the Final Fantasy franchise. The star of Final Fantasy XVI is an interesting addition to the playable roster, but it seems that the deal between Bandai Namco and Square Enix could extend beyond Clive. In a recent interview with IGN, the Tekken 8 developers were asked about the possibility of adding other characters from the franchise. According to producer Michael Murray (who also translated comments from executive producer Katsuhiro Harada), the deal between the two companies does not strictly limit them to just one character and “it might be cool if we had two.”

While this sounds pretty exciting, Murray was quick to add that “it’s not something we can decide alone.” That means Square Enix would have to sign off on any character that the development team might be interested in. It remains to be seen where things might go from here, but the prospect of additional Final Fantasy characters is pretty exciting. Clive is the lone Final Fantasy character in Tekken 8, but he is not the first to appear in the fighting game franchise; in Tekken 7, Final Fantasy XV protagonist Noctis Lucis Caelum similarly appeared as a DLC fighter. Noctis remains unavailable in Tekken 8, but it’s possible this could indicate a return for the character.

While Noctis would make a certain amount of sense, it’s possible that Square Enix would prefer the Tekken developers choose a more current character. Noctis was added to the Tekken 7 roster in 2018, less than two years after the release of Final Fantasy XV. At this point, Final Fantasy XV isn’t exactly fresh in the minds of gamers, so it might make more sense to select someone more recognizable. In the interview, IGN specifically mentions Final Fantasy VII‘s Cloud and Tifa as possibilities. While the developers don’t address those characters, Square Enix would probably be more willing to sign off on either Cloud or Tifa, given the fact that both are fan favorites that are currently appearing in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy.

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Tekken 8 players are still getting a feel for Clive in the game, but the gameplay of Final Fantasy XVI made it easier for the developers to make him work in this world. We’ll have to see if a potential second character would fit in equally well, but that will all depend on whether Bandai Namco and Square Enix can come to an agreement. It bodes well that Harada and Murray are open to adding a second character, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will come together. If there’s enough demand from fans of both franchises though, it could help move matters along!

Do you want to see more Final Fantasy characters in Tekken? Would you like to see Noctis return, or a different character? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!