Bandai Namco Warns Tekken 8 Fans Against Playing Cracked Closed Beta Build

Bandai Namco has issued a stark warning to Tekken 8 players, insisting they do not continue to play the recently-released closed network test.

The latest Tekken 8 closed network test ran on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC over the weekend, and let players get hands-on with the upcoming fighting game ahead of launch.

Predictably, this closed network test was cracked, and it didn’t take long for users to continue to play the build beyond the closed network test period.

In a tweet, Bandai Namco said doing so breaches its terms of service, as well as the Tekken World Tour code of conduct. The unauthorized download or distribution of the game is “illegal”, Bandai Namco insisted, before threatening to ban anyone caught playing the CNT from its tournaments.

“Your cooperation in preserving the fairness and competitive integrity of our competition is highly valued,” Bandai Namco said.

An important reminder from the TEKKEN Project and Bandai Namco Esports Team. pic.twitter.com/0Fcke36yU5

— Bandai Namco Esports (@BNEesports) July 31, 2023

Bandai Namco doesn’t want some players gaining an unfair advantage by playing Tekken 8’s training mode indefinitely when others can’t or choose not to. A similar situation occurred ahead of the launch of Street Fighter 6, which saw some players continue to play a cracked version of an early beta after it officially ended.

While Tekken 8’s closed network tests have proven popular with fans, they’ve caused Bandai Namco some headaches. Players used Cheat Engine to access the PS5-only test build that was live two weekends’ ago, and revealed mention of a number of unannounced characters.

Check out IGN’s Tekken 8 closed network test preview to find out what we think of the game. At San Diego Comic-Con 2023, we had the chance to interview Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada and producer Michael Murray, who revealed feedback is making them a bit nervous as it’s been “overwhelmingly positive”. Tekken 8 does not have a release date yet.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].