Bandai Namco has revealed new characters slated to be added sometime in 2026 through a “Season 8 roadmap preview” video for the fighting game Tekken 8.

The first character to be added is Kunimitsu, scheduled for a late-spring update. A female ninja who wields kunai, Kunimitsu sat out Tekken 4, 5, and 6 in a row, but has continued to join the roster as DLC from Tekken Tag Tournament 2 through Tekken 7 and now into this title. In particular, Tekken 7—which introduced a second-generation Kunimitsu on top of her expanded narrative background—saw the character gain popularity for her sleek character design and flashy, stylish move presentation.

In summer, Bob is set to arrive—one of the series’ “ever-present” characters since his first appearance in Tekken 6. Despite being a character built not merely as muscular but overtly obese, Bob earned widespread affection thanks to his nimble movement and excellent fundamentals, and he has long remained a popular pick frequently chosen even at higher levels of play.

Around autumn, Roger Jr. will appear—an animal character following in Kuma’s footsteps, and a boxing kangaroo. True to the “Junior” in his name, he still enters the fight while tucked inside his mother’s pouch. Many are reacting as though this is an unusual return, considering that even after Harada (PD) said during Tekken 7 that he would bring the character back if there were enough requests, Roger Jr. ultimately did not make it in. In addition, one more character is planned for winter, but the roadmap did not reveal who that character will be.

Meanwhile, Tekken 8 earned strong reviews at launch for its significantly upgraded cinematic storytelling and presentation, but more recently its rating has settled into “Mixed,” as clashes have emerged across new systems, balancing decisions, and its live-service operation.

Another key question is how the game’s operating direction may change now that Katsuhiro Harada—the former main producer of the Tekken series and Bandai Namco’s general manager—left the company last month. While day-to-day development for Tekken 8 was handled in practice by successor main producer Michael Murray, Harada’s presence has been so prominent throughout Tekken 8’s live-service era that it remains unclear what lies ahead.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.