Paul Phoenix will be back in Tekken 8, but he’ll look a bit different than what fans might be accustomed to. As revealed in a new trailer that Bandai Namco posted today, the blue-eyed, blonde-haired, and short-tempered American is entering the latest competition with a surprising hairdo, one that appears to a far thing from the flattop hairstyle that he has rocked since the original Tekken game, which launched for arcades way back in 1994. Some fans have begun calling it a “Karen haircut,” alluding to the popular meme, and while it’s unclear whether that was what producer Katsuhiro Harada was going for, Bandai Namco will presumably offer plenty of paid DLC for Paul fans to revert him back to his usual style. A release date for Tekken 8 has yet to be announced.
From a Tekken 8 overview:
Get ready for the next chapter in the legendary fighting game franchise. Powered by Unreal Engine 5 and exclusively available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC Digital, TEKKEN 8 pushes the limits of new-gen hardware, high-fidelity visuals, and immersive graphics. Stunning visual effects throughout each combine with character models and moves built from the ground up, adding new weight and atmosphere to TEKKEN’s signature battles. TEKKEN 8 turns every moment of impact into a spectacle, and every victory into an epic story.