What to Expect From Tekken 8’s Final Fantasy 16 Crossover

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 16, 2024 2 Views 6 Min Read
What to Expect From Tekken 8's Final Fantasy 16 Crossover

The Game Awards 2024 came with the teased announcement of the fourth DLC character in Tekken 8, and it delivered on fan requests for a Final Fantasy crossover in an unexpected way. The final fighter of Tekken 8‘s Playable Character Year 1 Pass was revealed to be the guest Clive Rosfield from Final Fantasy 16, subverting anticipations of FF7‘s Tifa. He’s set to bring a medieval flavor has another outlier weapon fighter in the roster, and it seems that Clive will be following the example of FF‘s past crossover as his appearance cements a trend in collaborations.




The grounded, aggressive style of Tekken 8‘s combat will now be shaken up by the flashy high-fantasy action of Square Enix’s latest flagship entry, and this is likely to cause strong reactions across the community. Regardless of how different the tone of his moveset may be, the attention to detail that has been taken in adapting him is sure to be recognized by FF16 players.

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Clive’s Presence in Tekken 8 is Poised to Parallel the Impact of Noctis in T7

The Divisiveness of Sword Characters in a Martial Arts Tournament

Weapon fighters have been a controversial, but generally accepted aspect of the franchise for years, as the likes of Final Fantasy 15‘s Noctis Lucis Caelum in Tekken 7 are remembered as predictable yet dangerous threats. This is due to their shared reliance on the “2” input, usually right-handed punch on unarmed characters, being most associated with sword slashing. Clive has already been shown to heavily utilize his weapon across what could be most of his moveset, but this isn’t the only inspiration apparent in his kit.


It once seemed as though T8 would have not focused on guests on the same level as its predecessor, and Victor Chevallier’s adoption of some similar moves to Noctis supported this assumption. The inclusion of Final Fantasy 7‘s Tifa Lockhart in Tekken 8 would be a more natural fit, given her hand-to-hand combat preference. Clive is surprising due to this perceived oversaturation, but his arsenal of Eikon powers actually has the potential to diversify his moveset far beyond typical sword attacks. His use of elemental magic has been shown to be paying homage by bringing a blend of options to this unconventional archetype.

Clive’s Inclusion Appears Jam-Packed with Faithful References to Final Fantasy 16


With a moveset that features many accurately represented Eikon abilities alongside faithful recreations of Clive’s basic attack kit, his Tekken 8 moveset is a love letter to FF16. His wolf companion Torgal has even managed to be integrated, drawing comparisons to Kazumi Mishima’s use of a tiger in the previous game.

These even include powers he gained after the base game through Leviathan from Final Fantasy 16‘s Rising Ride DLC, making him an impressive composite of an end-game build from the source material. Some of the recognizable moves seen in the trailer include:

  • Rising Flames (Phoenix) – Flaming uppercut
  • Pile Drive (Ramuh) – Electric spear slam
  • Titanic Block (Titan) – Counter
  • Charged Torrent (Leviathan) – Close range explosion
  • Zantetsuken (Odin) – Dramatic slashes with delayed damage
  • Gigaflare (Bahamut) – Massive energy beam

The Collaboration Isn’t Limited to Just a Guest Character

On top of Clive’s addition, an entire stage inspired by his game will be coming in the form of the Phoenix Gate. With a dramatic backdrop of the Eikons Ifrit and Phoenix fighting, complete with a stage transition triggering environmental damage, this complementary offering seems to be a consolation for Tekken 8‘s Genmaji Temple stage controversy earlier this year. The added focus on microtransactions for customization items and avatar skins has been a growing part of the title’s support, and it wouldn’t be surprising if this crossover also extends outside gameplay alone.


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