Tekken 8 launched off the again of Tekken 7 having considered one of gaming’s impossible comebacks and, although Season 1 had its justifiable share of points, followers of the sequence had been optimistic concerning the future and total route of the sequence.
Phi ‘PhiDX’ Lam noticed a possibility on this and constructed a profession for himself off the again of Tekken 8’s launch. He’s the Tekken man at this level and used the budding profession he had in Tekken 7 to essentially explode as a creator when 8 was launched. Now, he’s arguably essentially the most trusted voice locally.
Nonetheless, proper as Phi’s profession was hitting new highs, Season 2 dropped. This patch was so notoriously dangerous that it’d be no exaggeration to name it one of many worst patches in online game historical past, at the very least by way of neighborhood reception. Over 1500 modifications, and virtually all of them had been misses within the eyes of Tekken execs and informal gamers alike.
For Phi, a person who simply constructed a steady profession round Tekken 8, this downturn got here on the absolute worst time.
Even if Season 2 has considerably improved since its April 1, 2025 launch, T8 now has a status that might be very exhausting to interrupt. Successful again the gamers that had been misplaced to start out Season 2 is a tall order, even when the professional scene, in isolation, is flourishing.
I sat down with PhiDX for an prolonged interview to speak by way of the expertise of attempting to make a residing as a Tekken creator throughout one of many darkest chapters within the sequence’ 30 12 months historical past. Is Tekken 8 value saving, or ought to they only transfer on and check out beginning with a clear slate?
PhiDX opened as much as Esports.internet about how Tekken 8’s downfall affected him.
How Tekken 8’s Struggles Impacted PhiDX’s Content material
Stroll me by way of what it’s like attempting to be a Tekken creator whereas the builders of the sport are burning their goodwill with the neighborhood.
What a query, that’s a fireplace opener. To talk usually, there are loads of routes totally different creators can take, and I believe I can solely actually communicate to mine. There have been individuals who had been positively drama farming and stuff like that, and I knew I didn’t need to do this.
However, I bear in mind on the time that Season 2 dropped, there was a vocal minority of gamers who had been calling me a shill for the corporate and issues like that. They had been like, “That is your fault, if solely you had been extra important, yada yada yada.” So… my headspace on the time was that I’ve usually been constructive concerning the recreation simply to encourage extra individuals to strive it.
I don’t like the concept of creating a important video, after which anyone who’s having enjoyable begins to have much less enjoyable, it didn’t sit properly with me. Usually, that’s why I lean in the direction of extra constructive content material, speaking concerning the recreation, speaking about issues I like.
As soon as the patch dropped, I knew the shill claims had been type of nonsensical, however a part of me was type of like, ‘Do I have to be extra important? Do I must make it recognized that I disagree?’ That was considered one of my first issues. It’s genuine to me to be important on this scenario, however the trade-off is it is going to have an effect on individuals negatively who do benefit from the recreation. Is that value it? And I went in the direction of sure, it’s what I needed to speak about.
At a sure level, although, it did get a bit of tiring. I don’t get pleasure from making adverse content material, the sport wasn’t being patched in a method that appeared like it might enhance, so I simply ended up importing much less, you realize? There was simply much less pure ardour to work on it, there have been much less constructive issues to speak about. So, I simply streamed and didn’t speak concerning the recreation. I rode that out for some time, did some event protection and the standard stuff.
I’m fortunate that, after I was commentating tournaments, I used to be capable of finding enjoyable moments. Like, there are nonetheless excessive degree gamers making reads and issues like that, making optimizations. That’s at all times going to be cool to me. I discovered constructive issues to speak about when there was a event occurring.
There was a turning level the place I went to Sandia Showdown, a event in Albuquerque. I used to be speaking to a bunch of event officers from Colorado and Albuquerque, they usually had been saying, ‘We used to have 30-40 individuals at our locals, and final time it was like 9-12.’ That type of modified my mind chemistry.
I used to be tweaking about being a shill or being adverse to individuals who needed to be taught the sport, however these individuals who truly spend money and time each week or each month to host one thing that’s, like, a giant time dedication – they had been having a worse expertise due to adverse content material popping out. That actually shifted my perspective.
If I’m gonna say one thing, have one thing good to say. If I’m not gonna say one thing good, have or not it’s constructive or very clear that it’s constructive criticism.
So, like, have it clear that you’ve got a objective and one thing you need to be modified?
Yeah, like strive to not even clickbait one thing adverse. As a result of there are individuals who timeline scroll, see the clickbait, and use that as my message.
There are loads of movies nonetheless on my second channel which might be unpublished and possibly will keep unpublished simply due to that have I had. They’d have been good movies, they might get traction, and I do consider within the message, however the packaging of it might have an effect on these people who find themselves truly committing IRL time, cash, and energy. Their communities are being damaged aside. That didn’t sit properly with me to contribute to that.
The powerful factor is you had been gaining a lot traction as a creator coming off of Season 1. There have been additionally the Tekken Sajam Slams, which did extraordinarily properly.
Oh my god, yeah.
And also you had been speaking with all these large creators who appeared to like working with you, and also you arrange all these connections to proceed doing that. You had been on the trail to creating an excellent larger profession for your self as a creator.
You’re speaking about feeling dangerous for event organizers, however, I imply the truth is that one thing occurred that’s out of your management that, in loads of methods, tousled the profession path you had been in all probability blueprinting for your self, you realize?
Yeah… That’s true.
I believe it’s okay to mourn that a bit of bit. I imply, I’m certain that making adverse content material was partially to alleviate a few of the stress of, ‘Holy sh*t, this recreation is my job, and the devs simply f**ked it up’.
Type of? I imply, after I consider – I’d should scroll my time my channel to essentially determine each video – however, off the highest of my head, the 2 important movies I made had been, like… real cries for assist.
‘If the devs see this, please pay attention,’ was type of the vibe.
I hear that the devs see all the pieces, so I attempted to make it as clear as attainable [what the problems are]. So, I’d make a video like, ‘I’m taking a break from Tekken 8’ and I’d present a Steve string, and I’d present the rock paper scissors scenario and the way brain-dead it’s, issues like that. It was nonetheless throughout the lens of, ‘Sure, my profession is closely tied to Tekken, however, even should you take away that and simply speak concerning the recreation, there are individuals at each degree who’re sad with this.’ I attempted to talk extra to that.
As a result of there was a lot discuss me self-enriching on the expense of the “integrity of Tekken”, I used to be at all times acutely aware of that after I was making content material. I needed to maintain it as goal as attainable, even when, in my soul, I used to be feeling like, ‘Why is that this occurring?!’ I needed to maintain it clear-cut that that is actually concerning the recreation. Even should you’re not ready the place that is one thing which you could make a residing off of, it’s nonetheless a problem.
So, you don’t have to present me a particular quantity, however I’m genuinely curious what proportion of people that selected to not purchase or selected to cease enjoying Tekken 8 due to Season 2 you assume might precisely clarify what the problems had been. Past base degree stuff like Jack’s launch Make Some Noise string, Paul’s unblockable Deep Dive cancel, issues like that.
Oh, that’s query. I actually don’t have reply solely as a result of, particularly after the Season 2 drop, I made an intentional effort to be much less tapped in. So as to hold making content material that I get pleasure from and that I be ok with, I needed to learn much less about what individuals assume.
However, simply to be considerably on matter, loads of feedback I get nowadays are simply, ‘Is Tekken mounted but?’ or like, ‘I ended enjoying right here, is it value enjoying now?’ It looks as if the individuals who had been turned off simply stopped enjoying and went to play one thing else.
Even Tekken 8 Season 1 had loads of haters, however they clearly caught round to play anyway. I believe Season 2 did a factor the place individuals simply straight up left, so the proportion of people that can clarify it might truly be medium or excessive. Possibly I’m being optimistic about that, however I’ll say that their opinions are in all probability tailor-made to launch Season 2.
Launch Jack-8 in Season 2 was so unbelievably busted that somebody managed to climb to a comparatively excessive rank whereas enjoying blindfolded.)
I did a podcast-style episode with Speedkicks on one of many more moderen patches six months in the past – which I assume is just not even that latest – he mentioned he was having enjoyable with Tekken 8 once more in lengthy units, and it was due to the cumulative modifications. Warmth burst, warmth smash being extra steppable, the HP enhance, and just like the meta that got here out of that made it in an effort to have extra Tekken interactions, relying on the matchup, and in lengthy units, issues like that. So, lots of people’s opinions I believe are formed by that Season 2 launch.
There are nonetheless so many points, however the basic recreation does really feel playable and extra enjoyable for the strongest rivals in a protracted set format.
Is Tekken 8 value saving?
Sadly, it feels type of unattainable to persuade anybody that hasn’t performed Tekken to strive Tekken 8 as a result of they’re like, ‘Oh, doesn’t that recreation suck?’
Yeah, the cloud of darkness nonetheless lingers. That’s in all probability the roughest half, the passing curiosity is far decrease.
I imply, do you assume Tekken 8 is value attempting to save lots of with seasonal updates, or ought to they transfer on to a brand new recreation?
I believe it’s value attempting to save lots of, however solely as a result of I can’t see them investing the trouble and sources right into a model new recreation. The visible attraction is there, the character designs are there. There are loads of issues that individuals may take as a right within the improvement of a brand new recreation. I believe they cooked from a online game bundle standpoint, they usually’ve carried out a lot high quality of life stuff that Tekken has wanted for a very long time to make it a compelling, trendy combating recreation bundle.
The one difficulty with the sport is what they’ve carried out to soil the intermediate expertise and excessive degree expertise, which is the place your loyal fan base is. However should you’re a vacationer proper now, it’s nonetheless a really compelling bundle. The largest draw back once more is, if you wish to go deeper, it’s ugly.
I actually assume it’s value saving seasonally, however they must make some loopy – properly, loopy from the standpoint of what I understand to be Japanese improvement tradition, I can solely speculate – however large modifications like deleting strikes. Or possibly doing one thing like Tekken 8: Final. It’d be like a functionally new season however packaged as a revision of the sport. Tekken has carried out that earlier than, proper? Tekken 6: Bloodline Rise up, Tekken 7: Fated Retribution, Tekken Tag 2: Limitless, they’ve carried out repackaging and a re-launch.
The query is, do they accomplish that on the expense of their live-service imaginative and prescient? As a result of they needed to do a live-service Tekken. In the event that they’re courageous sufficient to delete strikes and do issues like that, then it might work. I believe that the route within the newest patches has been promising.
The gripe that now we have proper now could be they only aren’t patching the sport till the TWT Finals are over. Which sucks.
Possibly that is only a me factor, but it surely virtually seems like Tekken 8 is designed extra for the viewer expertise than enjoying it? I do know that sounds bizarre, but-
No, I’d agree with that.
I believe combo size completely must be addressed.
Have you ever seen that clip the place somebody compares Tekken 6 combos to a Lidia combo?
The place they did like 4 combos in Tekken 6 within the time 1 Lidia combo took?
Yeah, yeah, that one. And I fully agree. I believe it’s a problem once more at that intermediate degree. While you’re newer to the sport, seeing the impartial interactions and stuff like that could be a helpful expertise. It genuinely will get in the way in which of improvement should you’re simply sitting there. Not simply from a zoomer consideration span perspective, however even for me. I don’t even get to run the interplay again whereas I’m ready for a ten second cutscene to finish.
Do you assume that the stigma round Tekken being a really exhausting combating recreation is overblown? Tekken has a really totally different problem curve to Avenue Fighter simply because it feels prefer it’s simpler to get into at a low degree.
I used to be re-watching my episode with Sajam discussing the disastrous Tekken 8 Season 2 patch, and that’s what he mentioned, too. He mentioned Tekken may need one of the best entry level at a complete newbie degree, and I nonetheless fully agree with that.
I believe it’s intuitive to carry again to dam, I believe it’s intuitive to carry down again to dam low, I believe not leaping makes it type of clear that, ‘Okay, this can be a grounded recreation.’ That makes the principles round most issues really feel cheap. Avenue Fighter, if I block one thing within the air, it’s not my flip anymore. That wasn’t intuitive to me as a brand new Avenue Fighter participant, for example.
The intermediate degree, the place you determine to take a seat down and truly be taught stuff, is the place it will get insanely exhausting. I don’t assume that half is overblown, however I believe it received’t have an effect on most individuals simply beginning. The disgrace of Tekken 8 – each Season 1 and Season 2, however particularly Season 2 – is that they made that intermediate expertise worse by altering a bunch of body knowledge.
I gave the analogy that, for the individuals who studied the sport it’s such as you deleted their save knowledge in, like, a JRPG, and made them begin over. All of the learning and labbing and muscle reminiscence they constructed is now totally different.
Do you are feeling like Bandai Namco ignoring the content material creator facet of Tekken 8 has considerably contributed to declining curiosity?
Considerably contributed… I need to say no. I believe the numerous difficulty was the Season 2 replace, however it’s a misplaced alternative. If Season 2 had been a impartial patch the place some issues bought higher issues, some issues bought worse, issues ended up being about the identical frustration degree, it’d be totally different. Or if issues bought extraordinarily higher? Marginally higher? Possibly even a bit of worse?
Truthfully, if it was another consequence aside from what occurred, I believe we’d have stayed on the same observe from Season 1.
There nonetheless would have been sufficient curiosity for the pure neighborhood occasions to come back up, Sajam in all probability would have hosted one other slam, and it might have nonetheless garnered curiosity. What now we have is the scenario the place there’s a darkish cloud of largely adverse opinions that’s actively killing curiosity.
You had been speaking a bit of bit about how Bamco must do some loopy stuff to save lots of Tekken 8 Season 3. What’s on the prime of your record for issues that may completely want to vary to ensure that them to win gamers again, or possibly even attempt to discover new ones?
I lack loads of I believe zoomed out expertise in combating recreation life cycles to have opinion on this. However I bear in mind, proper as Season 2 dropped, I used to be speaking to [Maximilian Dood]. He was saying curiosity will solely come again with visitor character.
Tekken’s gonna be within the dumps even when the sport truly does get higher, the final notion received’t change till visitor character comes. Which is why I believe Max is so pro-Tifa outdoors of already having fun with FF7.
I imply, she would save the sport.
Yeah, I believe that’s the Season 4 stimpak, possibly Season 5, it might breathe loads of new curiosity into the sport. Sufficient time would have handed from the trauma of Season 2 that individuals could be like, ‘Hey, Tekken is sick!’ I believe individuals will overlook.
So, when confronted with the query of how we repair it, I see it as a two-pronged strategy: First is to repair the sport in order that rivals aren’t those complaining. When you have got your prime execs complaining, it’s not look, proper? If Arslan and Knee are having fun with the sport verbally on Twitter, I believe that that does rather a lot.
Then, as soon as the trauma has healed, a spike in curiosity, whether or not it’s a visitor character, or… Yeah, I imply, it’d have to essentially be a visitor character to simply deliver individuals again to strive it. I believe that’s the way it will get saved.
Discovering optimism for the longer term
I used to be initially going to ask if there’s any a part of you that regrets branding your self because the Tekken man and actually tying your self to this recreation. However, I watched the Brian F Trash Discuss episode and, from what you mentioned there about Tekken being the sport you’re most enthusiastic about that you could possibly make movies about ceaselessly.
I don’t assume so. It might have been League or Smash, Melee particularly. My favourite content material creators are the one-game specialists like SypherPK, Clix, Reisshub for Fortnite, GothamChess for chess. I like that type of content material.
When it comes to branding, I acknowledge the weaknesses of doing that. However, in occasions the place I’ve carried out extra selection issues or carried out streamer collabs, I discover I’m… Like, I did a streamer collab Rust server, and I used to be uncomfortable the entire time. I didn’t know find out how to socially work together with different streamers just about and not using a shared nerdy factor to go in on. So, the mode of being a Tekken man is sweet.
There is part of me that seems like branching out to being the combating recreation man appears good, or like how Maximilian and Sajam occupy this area the place they’ve big mass attraction. They will discuss a number of video games, they’ll discuss basic video video games, and still have attraction there. However that doesn’t instantly leap out to me as a focal point. I believe it’s a market I might occupy and I believe I’ve the abilities to do it, however individuals ask me like, “Are you watching the Recreation Awards?’, and I’m like, ‘Why do I care concerning the Recreation Awards?’
It will take some modifications internally for me to be higher at branching outdoors of Tekken. Avenue Fighter and 2XKO I’d say are shut. However, if I’m being trustworthy, it’s a mixture of simply usually sticking to what I’m comfy with and actually having fun with it.
Is there any a part of you that’s scared that you simply’ll sooner or later have to maneuver on from Tekken and do one thing else if you wish to proceed a full-time profession as a content material creator?
Oh, positively. However, to be clear, my concern is extra that Tekken creates a cap, or like a ceiling. I do know that’s going to exist, however I’m certain – properly, certain is a loopy phrase – I’ve sturdy confidence that 3 to five years down the street, I might very a lot nonetheless be a Tekken creator and be okay.
What I’m extra involved about is that if there’s untapped potential by being simply the “Tekken man.” Which the reply, statistically, is sure. But additionally, is there a sustainable path to push past that and nonetheless have the identical satisfaction and day-to-day enjoyment that 2024 Tekken 8 gave me? That’s in all probability the larger difficulty.
I guess I might keep on with Tekken, I might go into teaching to remain afloat. However there could also be ‘What if?’ questions that come up.
Now 2XKO is out, and content material concerning the recreation is… I don’t assume anyone’s 2XKO content material is doing properly, to be trustworthy. Do you assume that there’s anyplace that Riot has actually missed the mark?
The largest factor is that there are simply not sufficient characters. And the exhausting half is that Riot is doing a lot proper. They’re being methodical about their character design, they’re listening to the neighborhood, they’re patching at a semi-decent cadence, however I believe, backside line, there are simply not sufficient characters.
So, when individuals watch content material, it’s the identical combos. It’s the identical setups. It’s the identical oki. It’s the identical voice strains. And, once they strive the sport… In a tag fighter, except you actually like a personality, you’re not going to need to put up with all of the bullsh*t that the sport places you thru.
The shortage of characters in 2XKO actually is simply the largest difficulty. On one hand, I admire all the pieces Riot is doing that’s proper, particularly with the opposite combating recreation improvement corporations that we cope with.
Riot is doing so many nice issues, however no matter went on behind the scenes that restricted the event of extra characters extra shortly might be what’s coming to chunk them proper now.
While you had been asking, like, ‘Does Tekken simply must do a brand new model?’ I don’t know if Bandai Namco has that push and trade savviness to drag that off. However I’m assured that, as soon as Riot has extra characters in 2XKO, they’ll do a giant Field Jam Slam 3 or one thing like that with new streamers, new this, new that. I’m assured they’ll discover a method, so it’s only a matter of time in my eyes.
To me, 2XKO might be gonna hit. There’s a lot there that’s good, it simply wants extra characters. I’m not too involved. Though, it was one other kick within the nuts that it wasn’t doing properly early.
Is there any large objective you have got in your thoughts that you simply’d actually prefer to sort out this 12 months, in Tekken or past?
Yeah, it’s been all, like, life routine stuff. So we simply had a giant transfer in August and I had a again harm. So, I really feel like most of my fall and winter was simply recovering from these two large life occasions. However, since February, earlier than Season 2, I’ve needed to have the PhiDX content material machine be very easy and environment friendly. I needed to evaluate shorts frequently, evaluate unhinged montages frequently, document day by day movies for my most important channel frequently.
And I believe the mixed mixture of 2024 burnout, Season 2 dropping, some private issues – nothing horrible, simply, you realize, pivoting life circumstance. After which the transfer, then the again harm. This 12 months has been type of a wash. I’m not writing it off, but it surely’s extra like [2025] reaffirmed that I need good life routines and good techniques in place, each in content material and my well being. This entire winter has type of been identical to a setup for that.
I’ve been attempting to eat the identical meals on daily basis in order that I really feel higher, drop a few pounds, and go to the gymnasium. I’ve simply been specializing in loads of these issues, and I’m hoping the circumstances in 2026 enhance such that I’ll be allowed to reap the advantages of implementing these higher techniques in my life. However it has been type of a reactionary 12 months in some ways.
I imply, it nonetheless feels such as you did loads of cool stuff this 12 months. You bought invited to a ton of combating recreation occasions, did some Sajam Slams, had Deadly Fury of us attain out to you to preview characters. Give your self a bit of credit score.
That’s true, that’s true. And, you realize, successful the 2XKO Slam was cool. I did rather well on the TwitchCon San Diego Avenue Fighter Slam, I received all my matches. They had been calling me, like, “Temu Punk”. Yeah, these little wins had been enjoyable for certain.
And, I believe that seeing how loads of us Tekken grinders nonetheless haven’t fully left the sport gave me a bit of little bit of hope within the sense that, like, though they’ve uprooted a lot of the unique recreation, that Tekken sauce that was cooked up a long time in the past nonetheless has some endurance, you realize?
My hope is that, no matter they do to the sport sooner or later, that will get to shine by way of. What will get me excited is simply that Tekken gameplay. And so long as that’s shining, I’ve the vitality to make content material. There’s nonetheless hope.
(This interview has been edited for brevity and readability.)
