Tekken 7 launches June 2, 2017, has season pass

Bandai Namco today revealed that Tekken 7 will blast into battle on June 2, 2017 on Xbox One, PS4, and Steam...but the publisher also revealed some worrying details too.

Tekken 7 will have characters locked behind paid DLC in a season pass format. I can't say I'm surprised given the nature of Bandai Namco's current business model, but I do think this has absolutely no place in Tekken; Tekken has always been about earning the extra characters with time, not money. And if that wasn't enough, the publisher is also locking a character, Eliza, behind a pre-order paygate.

As a hardcore Tekken fan, I don't agree with these changes. I don't like them. And I'm wondering how Harada feels about it. This move has to bee quite awkward, and it might be the right one in terms of money and investment on Bandai Namco's part, but it just feels so wrong in terms of a fan perspective.

Check out the official press info below:

TEKKEN 7 for home consoles and PCs represents the culmination of the highest levels of fighting game development, even surpassing its arcade counterpart by offering additional balance and fine tuning, the inclusion of a dramatic story mode, more characters, and the implementation of online tournament modes that are sure to ignite the fighting spirit amongst gamers around the world.

When TEKKEN 7 launches on June 2, 2017, the game will be available with a variety of special offers that are sure to please hardcore TEKKEN fans and newcomers to the series, including:

The TEKKEN 7 Collector's Edition (available for PlayStation 4 & Xbox One); collectors and hardcore TEKKEN fans will be pleased to learn that there will be a TEKKEN 7 Collector's Edition containing a spectacular statue measuring approximately 12" tall by 18" wide that features a dynamic pose with Kazuya fly kicking Heihachi in mid-air, a special Steel Book, and the official TEKKEN 7 soundtrack.

A TEKKEN 7 Season Pass (available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, STEAM) will grant players access to three content packs aimed to extend the TEKKEN 7 experience and will include new playable characters, new stages, a new game mode, costume packs, and a bonus 35-piece Metallic Costume Pack. *Each DLC pack contained within the TEKKEN 7 Season Pass may also be purchased separately.

TEKKEN 7 Pre-order Bonus (available today for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and STEAM) will feature DLC access to Eliza, the famed vampire character that made her TEKKEN debut in TEKKEN Revolution. Xbox One players will be treated to an added bonus of receiving a free copy of TEKKEN 6 that takes advantage of the backwards compatible capabilities of the Xbox One platform.

A special Digital Xbox One Pre-order Pack (available on the Xbox Store beginning on January 31, 2017) will include DLC access to Eliza and a free copy of TEKKEN 6 that takes advantage of the backwards compatible capabilities of the Xbox One platform.

The TEKKEN 7 Digital Deluxe Edition (available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, STEAM) will include TEKKEN 7 and the Season Pass.

Lastly, the PlayStation 4 version of TEKKEN 7 will contain exclusive content: legacy costumes from TEKKEN 4 and TEKKEN 2 for King, Xiaoyu and Jin as well as a Jukebox Mode where fans can listen to classic Tekken music tracks and even create playlists of Tekken music to listen to while they play.