DLC characters in Tekken 8 have been a hot debate for most players each time an announcement is on the horizon. There have been a lot of mixed messages regarding the first season of DLC fighters since Harada swore that Heihachi was dead before he was resurrected in the first wave, and his tweet stating players shouldn't worry about guest characters for a while is now obviously a lie. So, it's no surprise that the announcement of Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield being the final DLC character for 2024 has been met with a very mixed reception.
It feels like players have been banking on the announcement of Final Fantasy's Tifa joining the roster since DLC characters were even announced for the game. I've tried not to weigh into the discussion, mostly because I had my heart set on Tekken 3's Gon making a surprise reappearance, and I know I'd be ridiculed for life if I ever shared that in a forum. But, the response to Clive taking what everyone assumed to be Tifa's position on the roster had been overwhelmingly negative from the very moment it entered public knowledge.
The VA of Clive just posted this on his IG story, I can't???????? from r/Tekken
But, as a response to the negative feedback from the army of players desperate for Tifa to join the furious fighting game, Clive's voice actor Ben Starr took to his Instagram page to challenge the players to fight him, while clad in what I can only admire as a top-quality Tifa cosplay. Although I imagine a small portion of Tekken 8 players got to witness this post in all of its glory since it was posted on Starr's Instagram story, seeing the post circulate the Tekken 8 subreddit has lightened the spirits of players who were initially fuming from the announcement.
Comments like "Clive's VA could change the fanbase's mind about his character" and "That's hilarious. Always great to see VAs interact with the community" are refreshing to see, especially when so many players have been desperate to complain. Now, the pressure has been taken off adding Tifa as a DLC character, and more players are asking for a Tifa costume for Clive's character model. Which, I think would be in the realm of possibility and a hilarious addition following Starr's commitment to the bit.
I'm particularly pleased to see people comment on the Reddit thread about how they were initially upset after the announcement, and how this reaction from Ben Starr has completely changed their minds. Sure, DLC characters won't please everyone. But it's nice to see so many people realizing that this probably isn't the only guest character Tekken 8 will be getting, so there's always a chance that their favourites might make an appearance later down the line. That means there's still a chance for my beloved Gon to make the comeback of a century.
