Why Tekken director is wrong about Tag being relegated to just a mode

Both Tekken Tag Tournament games are entries in the Tekken series that may not have appeared on many gamers’ radars. Despite Tekken debuting in arcades and subsequently on the Sony PlayStation in 1994, developer Bandai Namco has never been hesitant to try out new things with the franchise.

Back in 1999, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada was asked to create a Tekken game for the upcoming launch of the PlayStation 2, but had little time to do it. Harada decided to make a ‘Tekken 3.5’, featuring almost all the characters of the series’ past, and eventually, a ‘Tag’ function was added, which then turned into the spinoff we know today as Tekken Tag Tournament.

By pressing one of the shoulder buttons, players can swap between the two characters they’ve initially picked, with moves that can be unique to certain fighters. Despite a sequel launching in 2012, Tekken Tag 2 didn’t sell as well as expected, with a third entry unlikely. In a recent interview with IGN, Harada mentioned that he would rather have the ‘Tag’ function as a separate mode within a mainline Tekken entry. But doing that would be a waste of a big opportunity. Below, we explain why that would be the case.

In the IGN interview, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada wasn’t sure when asked if a return to Tekken Tag Tournament would ever happen. “…Whereas the Tekken series progressed, the characters became more unique in their move sets, etc. So it’s even more involved to try to learn and master a character, and then another one on top of that. And then when you throw in the combination of the two and your opponent’s characters, there’s just so much more knowledge that’s necessary to enjoy the game.” Harada explained.

At first, it’s understandable to see Harada’s viewpoint. As games become more elaborate and sophisticated, developing a game takes longer than usual. Then there’s the aspect of creating season passes for games to have more content and patches to fix bugs and balance issues, something that Tekken 8 is all too aware of, due to the mess of Season 2.

So, having a mode within a Tekken title that’s going to be supported for several years does make sense. But it would potentially siphon off a lot of potential players who love the Tag aspect and undermine upcoming games that are wholly based around the concept of managing different characters at once.

In general, fighting games depend on balance, with the characters that feature and the damage their attacks cause. In the past, you essentially got what you were given in the genre, with no way for patches to be released to refine the balancing further. Tekken Tag is a great example of that, with the same amount of damage since its 1999 launch. The fun of choosing two characters to inflict damage on opponents was part of the spinoff’s charm, with Tekken Tag 2 ramping this up thanks to rage attacks that could take away small parts of health. 

When you have a game like Tekken 8 that has suffered because of balancing patches this year, it could potentially be made even worse if a lone Tag mode is added. Having two characters that may be overpowered or underpowered could make the title suffer more, especially when it comes to esports. Players train with certain characters so they know how much damage some attacks inflict. When you add a second character into the fight, it can confuse the equation, making some strategies pointless and unfair in other areas.

In addition, there has been a return of tag-focused games as of late, such as Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls by Arc System Works, and 2XKO by Riot Games. With the former release in 2026 and 2XKO coming out later this year, they both feature tag systems that rely on the player to use their chosen characters with caution. For example, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has four characters for each player, all sharing a single life bar, while 2XKO has individual life bars for the two characters chosen.

These attributes make the tag system fun and tense, especially in Fighting Souls with one life bar between four. As these gameplay choices aren’t relegated to one mode, it doesn’t make a player feel like it’s tacked on — it’s part of the game, and makes players practice with certain characters to see how well they work with one another.

It’s ultimately a shame if we see Tag as a gameplay mode in a future Tekken series. We’ve seen time and time again that tag-based games are here to stay, and they could also offer something different at esports tournaments that other games like Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 don’t offer.

Tag-based games are coming into fashion in the fighting-game scene again. Thanks to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and 2XKO, both of which featured at EVO 2025 earlier this month in playable states, they’re leading the charge for games that let players control up to four characters at once. Initially, it’s something different from the standard gameplay we come to expect at esports events, as it ramps up the tension and the fun as to which characters players will pick in these competitive matches.

There’s also the elephant in the room of Tekken’s damaged reputation, due to Tekken 8’s Season 2 pass that broke several fighting moves, making them either overpowered or very weak. Perhaps Bandai Namco could recover its reputation by swallowing its pride, either re-releasing Tekken Tag 1 for modern systems, submitting it to future esports events, or creating a third Tekken Tag entry regardless. There’s clearly momentum happening in the tag-team fighting space, so reducing it to a mode could waste a big opportunity for the Tekken series.

The Tekken series is arguably at its lowest reputation since its 1994 debut. Despite Bandai Namco trying to fix Tekken 8 with rebalancing patches, they should do more to help restore its standing with fans and the esports scene. A revisit of Tekken Tag would be a great example, whether a remake or a new entry. There are fans of the series who have been there since its inception, so nostalgia for Tekken is very strong, and that extends to both Tekken Tag games.

To relegate the tag system to a mode would be a disservice to those who remember playing the first Tekken Tag game in the arcades in 1999, then as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Bandai Namco has a great opportunity to put the series in the same vein as Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and 2XKO, even if they just re-release Tag 1 for modern systems. Whatever the case, it could help restore the series, and as things stand, it could be a great move for all parties involved.