Tekken 8’s new Ling Xiaoyou gameplay pairs the phoenix with a demon

Tekken 8 received a gameplay blowout today, with a handful of players sharing hands-on impressions of their time with an early build of the game. To coincide with this, Bandai Namco revealed another playable fighter for the game—Chinese martial artist Ling Xiaoyu.

This was already a huge deal because #LingNation got their girl in the game with some clean new threads and plenty of flare added to her design and moveset. But this reveal gets even better once you look at everything that surrounds it. 

Xiaoyu was announced today, but for players who were at those limited hands-on sessions, she was a surprise addition to the playable roster in an early T8 build. This means fans get their first look at the character in action while also receiving insight from a number of people who have already been able to use her within the game’s new systems. 

Biggest takeaways from Tekken 8’s new Ling Xiaoyou gameplay

Prior to T8, Xiaoyu was already fairly good at playing a slow game and approaching opponents out of stance at her own pace. But with the introduction of the Heat System and all of the options it provides, movement and versatility for an already tricky character are through the roof. 

Related: Tekken 8 hands-on: A console-first approach levels up an arcade classic

You don’t really see a lot of that versatility on display in the reveal itself because it isn’t going in-depth. Most of what was shown were slightly different versions of her usual moves from previous games with some extra polish or altered follow-ups, paired with Heat Engagers and her Rage Art just like with the other character gameplay trailers. 

Once you dive deeper into her altered options within the Heat System, though, you get to see a powered-up Hypnotist stance and access new moves out of The Phoenix. Pair that with a Heat Dash to cover more ground or the threat of ending a combo with a deadly Heat Smash and you have some new spice for Xiaoyu’s dance routine.

There are also a few hidden details in some of the gameplay floating around outside of the showcase, including some cute moments with Jin Kazama as a match begins. And considering she will likely have a sizable role in T8’s story, this early content bodes well for Ling fans.