Tekken 8 Director Slams Fan Over Anna Williams' New Look: 'Unconstructive and Pointless'

Veteran Tekken 8 character Anna Williams is making a comeback, and while her new design has been well-received by the majority of fans, it has sparked some controversy, with a few even likening her appearance to Santa Claus.

When a fan requested that Tekken game director and chief producer Katsuhiro Harada revert to Anna's previous design, Harada responded firmly. He stated, "If you prefer the old design, I am not taking those away from you." He emphasized that while 98% of fans are embracing the new look, there will always be dissenters. Harada expressed understanding for differing tastes but pointed out that past games featuring the old design are still available. He criticized the fan for claiming to speak for all Anna fans and for making unconstructive threats and demands, calling such behavior disrespectful to other fans who are excited about the new design.

In another exchange, when a commenter criticized the lack of rereleases of older Tekken games with modern netcode and called Harada's response a "joke," Harada retorted sharply, "Thank you for POINTLESS reply. You yourself are the joke. MUTED."

Despite some negative feedback, the general reaction to Anna's new design has been positive, though some fans have expressed concerns about her outfit. Redditor AngryBreadRevolution shared, "Before she was announced I was hoping for an edgier, angry, violent Anna out for revenge for her fiance's death and so I'm quite happy with this design!" They noted that while the new hairstyle suits the outfit and personality, it might not work with all her outfits, but her original bob hairstyle will still be available. They also mentioned that the coat reminded them of Christmas, but praised the leotard, tights, boots, and gloves.

Other fans had mixed feelings. Troonpins said, "Love everything but the white feathers. It’s giving Santa Clause." Cheap_Ad4756 added, "Aside from looking like Santa Claus, she looks a lot younger than she did in Tekken 7 and before. She looks like less of a 'woman' now and more like a girl. I don't get the dominatrix vibe from her at all anymore." Spiralqq was more critical, stating, "It’s another overdesigned T8 look, feels like almost every costume in this game lacks a real focal point and everyone is just decked out in 100 bulky accessories from head to toe. I’d like it a lot more without the coat, or at the very least if the whole outfit didn’t look like Santa cosplay. You can’t have a bright red coat with white fur trims and a black belt and read as anything other than Santa."

Tekken 8 has achieved significant commercial success, selling 3 million copies within a year of its release, outpacing Tekken 7, which took 10 years to reach 12 million copies worldwide.

In IGN's Tekken 8 review, the game was awarded a 9/10, with the review stating, "Tekken 8 is an amazing new entry in the long-running series. Interesting tweaks to its classic fighting systems, a full suite of fun offline modes, great new characters, incredible training tools, and a vastly improved online experience all add up to a fighting game I will be playing for many years to come. By honoring its legacy, but continuing to move forward, Tekken 8 manages to stand out as something special."