‘There will always be people like you’: Tekken boss blasts ‘disrespectful’ fan for criticising character’s new look
Harada says 98% of fans like the returning Anna’s new appearance
Tekken series director Katsuhiro Harada has criticised a fan, and “people like them”, for complaining about a returning character’s updated appearance.
It was announced this week that Anna Williams, who has been in every main Tekken game except Tekken 4, will be coming to Tekken 8 in April as a DLC character.
Anna will be sporting a new look, however, with a new asymmetrical bob-cut hairdo tinted red and covering her left eye.
The change has led to an apparent minority of Tekken fans complaining about Anna’s new look, with one X user telling Harada that “replacing Anna with this new character is the devs’ way at getting back at Anna fans for all these years of support”.
Harada decided to quote the fan on X, using them an example of the type of player that, in his opinion, tends to speak on behalf of the community instead of speaking for themselves.
“While 98% of the fans are welcoming this, there will always be people like you,” Harada replied. “I understand and sympathize that it may not suit your personal taste, but if you prefer the old design, past works already exist. I am not taking those away from you.
“Also, you refer to yourself as ‘Anna fans’, as if you represent all Anna fans, but you should express your opinion as an individual.”
Harada went on to explain that such fans are often never happy regardless of what the Tekken development team does, and that had Anna retained her old look there would have been just as many people criticising his team for recycling old designs.
“You threaten to quit if she isn’t brought back, you complain the moment she is brought back,” he explained. “You demand that she be reverted after she has been completely redesigned from scratch, including her model and framework. And if she actually were reverted, you’d just say, ‘that’s recycling’.
“Either way, your method of expressing your opinion and the content of your argument are entirely unconstructive, utterly pointless, and, above all, disrespectful to the other Anna fans who are genuinely looking forward to her.”
Shortly after his message, Harada then quoted another fan who had left a positive comment, explaining that the team is “always happy to see” such positive feedback, but that he tends to reply to negative feedback because he feels it often includes false claims.
“As for why I respond to negative opinions, it’s because these negative folks tend to have a narrow perspective,” he said. “If I don’t respond, they start spreading toxicity, saying things like ‘why won’t they engage with the community’.”
Tekken 8 Season 2 starts on April 3 with Anna as the first DLC character. Players with Early Access will be able to start Season 2 from March 31.
