Huge Tekken 8 leak appears online, but how much of it is legit?

A massive Tekken 8 leak has appeared online in the form of several screenshots. If real, these indicate the presence of an additional game mode, alternative costumes, and in-game frame data displays.

Before you get too excited, Tekken 8 producer Michael Murray has brought the validity of this leak into question on Twitter. He writes: "I really wouldn’t put much stock in something unless it comes directly from Harada or me. There is a reason for the marketing schedule, as we show stuff when it is ready, and we explain in detail about it."

The thread continues: "Cuz y’all only remember the stuff that turned out to be true. You don’t remember all the BS character select screens and characters that were wrong, do you? Lol. How about those TEKKEN8 logos early on? Lol."

Okay so let's break this down - what are the chances that these Tekken 8 leaks are legit. We obviously can't host them here - if we do Bandai Namco may send someone to my actual house to Electric Wind God Fist me - but they are easy to find online on Reddit or other Tekken community hubs. The leak can be split into two halves: various in-game screenshots of what looks like a Tekken Force mode, as well as frame data displays being shown mid-fight. Then there are a selection of character costumes displayed without background visuals - seemingly pulled from the game. All of these stem from posts on 4Chan.

It's worth noting that the PC Closed Beta Test has been cracked since this August. According to various pro players as well as portions of the community online, those willing and able to crack this PC closed beta test were able to access new info and assets that came with a planned update to the CBT yesterday. It's from this new version of the beta that those costumes have been datamined and posted online.

In-game screenshots of Tekken force style mode and frame data is a tad trickier. A player with THE PHANTOM as their tag has captured the menu and frame data, whereas the Tekken Force mode seemingly comes in the form of both standard screenshots and those with test kit UI visible. These also come in both English and Japanese.

As with all leaks you should take these with a grain of salt. The costumes - having seemingly been datamined - appear more solid than the rest. Lets not forget that CBT users with Cheat Engine had previously dug up various characters ahead of their planned reveal. It's hard to be absolutely sure for the rest. They certainly look legit, but as Murray stated there have been numerous false "leaks" of high quality in the past. The only leaks that have proven airtight have come from corporations - usually Bandai Namco itself.

Ultimately it's a shame on multiple fronts. For one, these customers and features would have gone down an absolute hit with Tekken fans, who will likely learn of them from news posts like this or a handful of screenshots, rather than a bombastic trailer. It also reminds us all that in spite of Bandai Namco's warnings, players are digging away at the game right now way ahead of launch, much like some did with Street Fighter 6.

What do you feel about all this? Are you feeling down about the whole thing? Are you excited? And perhaps more importantly - is this just a reality of the genre now with PC betas being all the rage? That's the real story here - with Capcom and Bandai Namco suffering from leaks from the cracks, can we expect more in the future? Does the info gathered from early testing outweigh the downside?