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Tekken 8 vs Street Fighter 6: the titans clash for the fighting-game crown
Discover the differences between Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 to see how the latest releases in these legendary series stack up against each other.
Though these legendary fighting games feature different perspectives when it comes to its 1v1 brawls, Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 are more alike than they are different.
Join us as we take a closer look into each series, highlighting the similarities between the fighting games and the differences that make them stand out.
01
Perspective: 3D vs 2D
Drain your opponent’s health bar by performing damaging combos!
© Capcom
The fundamental difference between Tekken and Street Fighter is the way each series approaches combat. Tekken 8 is a 3D fighter, whereas Street Fighter 6 is a 2D game.
3D fighters feature an additional axis compared to 2D fighters, opening up a whole new set of offensive and defensive options. Powerful moves that might be difficult to block can be dodged by sidestepping out of the way, creating opportunities to attack.
That doesn't mean Tekken 8 is any more difficult to learn compared to Street Fighter 6. When it comes to combos and attack strings, Tekken 8 has massive move sets for each character, but those attacks are typically simple to perform.
Street Fighter 6's combo system involves performing actions within a short space of time, and your execution has to be precise as you dial in your special moves. All it takes is one incorrect button press, and your game-winning combo could result in a missed opportunity, giving your opponent a chance to strike.
02
Character roster
The rosters in Street Fighter and Tekken continue to grow each year
© Capcom
There are a total of 32 playable characters in Tekken 8, composed primarily of long-standing series veterans like Kazuya Mishima, Nina Williams and Yoshimitsu.
The roster also adds new fighters, including Reina, the illegitimate teenage daughter of Heihachi Mishima, and Victor Chevalier, a war veteran modelled after French actor Vincent Cassel.
Though Street Fighter 6 only has 18 fighters on its base roster, the developers have ensured every character plays differently. In the early days, fighters like Ryu and Ken were nearly identical, but their fighting styles have significant differences this time around.
Six of the Street Fighter 6 characters are new to the series, including drunken kung fu master Jamie and Marisa, the Italian pankratiast.
03
Beginner-friendly
Arcade Quest in Tekken 8 makes it easy to learn new characters
© Bandai Namco Entertainment
Despite Tekken 8's inherent complexity, it's surprisingly easy to pick up and play as a novice. While the game is filled with deep mechanics, the controls are simple enough that you can enjoy straight away yourself without having to learn much.
This is also the case in Street Fighter 6, but its simplicity means you can understand the game's core mechanics much faster. As a result, it's easy to spot the difference between someone who button mashes and someone who's spent time in training mode.
If you're a button masher in Tekken 8, you have much better odds of defeating a novice in training. Fortunately, both games feature simplified controls for beginners who just want to sit back and play, removing the learning process entirely.
04
Single-player content
Tekken 8’s story mode sees Jin reject his father once and for all
© Bandai Namco Entertainment
The two fighting games not only have robust online features for experienced players, but there's also plenty of single-player content to get through.
In addition to the story mode in Tekken 8, filled with beautifully rendered cut scenes, there's also Arcade Quest, which gives you a taste of a begone era. In Arcade Quest, you roam around a game centre as a newbie to the scene. There's also the return of Tekken Ball, a playable mini-game where you must attack a beach volleyball with all your might.
The main single-player content in Street Fighter 6 consists of arcade mode, where you face off against set fighters, and the new World Tour mode. World Tour is an action RPG where you travel across the globe to become the strongest fighter alive. There are also Extreme Battles, where you can apply gimmicks and win conditions to standard matches, adding some spice to your battles against the CPU.
05
Practice makes perfect: from student to master
The character overviews in Street Fighter 6 help you decide who to pick
© Capcom
The fighting game genre used to have a reputation for being notoriously unwelcoming to new players, but that's drastically changed over the past decade. Tekken 8 and Street Fighter both offer a host of game modes and tools to take you from a button-mashing beginner to a tournament legend.
Each fighter in Street Fighter 6 has a set a character guides, explaining how their special moves work and how to deal with your opponents. There are also helpful combo trials to give you a solid foundation before you decide to take your skills online.
Tekken 8's Arcade Quest treats you like someone who's just walked into an arcade for the first time, providing you with advice on how to fight as you challenge rival players. There's also a trials section inside training mode, making practising and learning your character's main moves easy.
Once you're ready to go online, both games record every fight you have, giving you a chance to watch back any crucial moments. Tekken 8 takes this a step further with Replay Takeover, allowing you to take control of your character right before you deal with a nasty scenario. This makes it easy to learn from your past mistakes as you discover solutions to troublesome situations.
06
Post-launch support: balance patches and fighters
Make sure you give each character a try to see who fits you best
© Bandai Namco Entertainment
If Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 follow in their predecessor's footsteps, and there's a strong possibility they will, you can expect anywhere between five and eight years of post-launch support. This includes adding new characters to the roster, expanded story mode content and balance patches.
Tekken 8 is already halfway through its first Character Pass, launching returning characters Eddie Gordo and Lidia Sobieska. The next fighter set to join the cast is the iconic Heihachi Mishima in autumn, with the final unrevealed character poised to launch in winter.
Street Fighter 6 is already halfway through its second Character Pass, taking the roster up to 26 fighters by the time the content releases in spring 2025. This latest Character Pass is special as it introduces two guest characters, a first for the series. Those two guest fighters are Terry and Mai from SNK's Final Fight, coming in autumn 2024 and winter 2025, respectively.
Whether you're looking for an experience you can dip in and out of, or you’re searching for something with a thriving competitive scene, Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 are the perfect games for casual and hardcore players alike.
