Activating Heat provides a major advantage, creating opportunities to pressure opponents with mid/low mix-ups. However, characters lacking strong standing low attacks have been unable to fully capitalize on this advantage. To address this, we’ve made it possible to transition into a crouching state after a successful Heat Engager hit by inputting ↓, ↙, or ↘, giving players more options to apply pressure.

Additionally, certain characters can now perform Heat Smash or Heat Burst from unique stances, enhancing combo variety and mind games during neutral.

For characters who previously had limited tactical options during Heat, we’ve introduced new Heat-exclusive moves to make their Heat state more appealing and dynamic.

To address overly one-sided match dynamics, we’ve reduced chip damage across the board during Heat state, where its impact was most pronounced.

Additionally, in endgame scenarios, it had become common to secure K.O.s by landing chip damage via Heat Dash followed by a quick finishing move-limiting creative decision-making.

To improve this, we’ve lowered the additional chip damage when Heat Dash is blocked.

We’ve also made adjustments to how recoverable health works: now, even damage taken while grounded will leave a recoverable gauge. This not only softens the offensive pressure of Heat but also makes its defensive merits more tangible, giving defending players more opportunities to recover and fight back.

Moreover, Heat Dash has long had numerous benefits, particularly when used from Heat Engagers with Power Crush properties. However, this created a gap in power between characters and often led to unbalanced mind games.

To address this, we’ve removed the Power Crush property from most Heat Engagers-or replaced them with other moves-except in a few cases where it’s part of a character’s identity. Exceptions include characters like Jack-8, Kuma/Panda, and Leo, whose unique stances retain Power Crush properties on their Heat Engagers.

Historically in Tekken, it was not possible to sidestep toward the foreground while in a crouching state. This created situations where, for example, a string that could be avoided from the 1P side (left) became unavoidable from the 2P side (right)-leading to imbalances in mind games unrelated to player skill or knowledge.

In Season 2, this issue has been resolved: players can now sidestep toward the screen even while crouching, ensuring that movement options are consistent regardless of side.

Input buffering at the start of rounds, allowing players to execute a move the instant the round begins. Input buffering for sidesteps even during recovery or stunned states, so players can buffer movement and execute it seamlessly once able to act.

These changes aim to improve the overall responsiveness and fluidity of control, helping players of all levels enjoy the game more comfortably.

In order to address issues pertaining to the large frame advantage on Heat activation and the excessive strength of Heat Dash, the development team is currently in the final stages of making adjustments geared towards reevaluating aspects that impact the strength of offense, and also a focus on improvements in defense.

These adjustments are scheduled to be completed by the opening of TWT 2025 on May 9.