TEKKEN 8 patch 1.09.01: Alisa, Dragunov, and Heihachi receive changes

TEKKEN 8 patch 1.09.01 has hit the game, bringing a number of new cosmetics and avatars. On the character balance front, Alisa and Dragunov have received nerfs while new addition Heihachi also received some rebalancing. Let's break down everything from the TEKKEN 8 1.09.01 patch notes.

Chief among the character adjustments in the TEKKEN 8 1.09.01 patch are the nerfs applied to Dragunov. The balance direction for this update aimed to "suppress performance of some of Dragunov's overly powerful moves." To achieve this, four moves have received changes:

Dragunov d2 - Razer damage reduced

For Dragunov's low swipe, the developers have applied a damage reduction from 17 to 14 damage.

Dragunov b4,3 - Tundra Slash can now be side-stepped

In a major blow to Dragunov's powerful double kick, Tundra Slash can no longer track enemies when the first attack misses. The second attack also features a smaller hitbox when the first misses. These changes combined greatly improve the chances of the enemy side-stepping the attack altogether. This should ensure that Dragunov mains now think twice before hitting the b4,3 combo.

Dragunov qcf4 - Ignition Switch no longer stuns

Opponents hit by Dragunov's qcf4 heat engager are no longer wall stunned. That means Ignition Switch doesn't inflict a knockdown anymore, taking away some of the move's utility.

Dragunov H23 - Ultra Russian Sickle less likely to hit enemies behind

Dragunov's Ultra Russian Sickle, activated by pressing 2 and 3 during heat, has seen a reduction to the duration of the attack and the hitbox of the third attack to make it less likely to hit opponents behind you.

The developers outlined a goal to reduce Alisa's move set to reduce low-risk and passive strategies. Alisa now inflicts a reduced amount of chip damage to her opponents while in her Destructive form.

Alisa's Destructive Form f1+2 - Hertz Blade and Hertz Blade Aegis nerfed

One of the strongest moves in Alisa's arsenal, her F1+2, has a massive nerf. When in Destructive form, Alisa has the power to inflict damage whenever she blocks the opponent's moves.

Now with the TEKKEN 8 patch 1.09.01 change, that damage has been reduced from 10 to just 6. Similarly, her chip damage on block during heat has gone down from 15 to 10. All this means that when you're up against Alisa, you can attack a bit more freely.

Alisa d4 nerfed - Optimizer damage reduced

Keeping in line, Optimizer or d4's damage has also been reduced from 15 to 12.

Alisa f2+1 - Dual Session recovery time reduced

Alisa's Dual Session or f2+1 has received a slight reduction to the recovery time inflicted on opponents. Now instead of the previous -12F advantage on block, Alisa will only gain a -10F advantage with her double mid hit.

Heihachi Mishima has received some minor changes, too. Alongside bug fixes, Heihachi's balance adjustments address the high combo damage from the Warrior Instinct State.

Ultimate Demon Basara - Warrior Instinct 1,b2,2

This move has been updated to allow opponents to perform a side ukemi when hit in midair.

The Tekken Shop features some new packs and sets. These include:

Meanwhile, for the TEKKEN Fight Lounge, a number of new character customizations have been added:

The matchmaking system for ranked matches and quick matches has been updated to ensure more ping-sensitive matchmaking. Previously, when a matchmaking attempt was unsuccessful, the game would widen the search to find the next opponent. Now, if a match cannot be found, the search range is no longer widened.

For the battle user interface (UI), updates have been made to make the health status and heat time easier to use. Once enabled, the game now ensures that important elements can not be blocked by the game's characters. To turn this on, players can do the following:

That's all of the changes in TEKKEN 8 patch 1.09.01. Make sure to grab your free TEKKEN 30th Edition Hoodie from the updated TEKKEN Shop. For all TEKKEN 8 news and updates, stick around on esports.gg.