- Tekken 8 has been released for some time, but pluggers are still being let go free of charge.
- Bandai Namco’s approach to dealing with pluggers is extremely poor and has caused much controversy.
- The developer should employ a simple method like the Quitality from Mortal Kombat.
Tekken 8 is a solid fighting game all around that exceeded Bandai Namco’s expectations. It presents a healthy roster of characters, the core gameplay is satisfying, and there is a lot of replayability. After spending many hours playing the game, I think the developers did a great job, except for two things.
First, the microtransactions have been controversial. Between the battle pass and poor recent reviews, the conversation has shifted away from Tekken 8’s strengths. Then there is the problem of players rage-quitting to avoid taking a loss in ranked mode.
Pluggers or rage-quitters have been part of fighting games for a while now. You will find them in almost any 1v1 game, but this doesn’t make dealing with them any less annoying. If you lose, you should accept it like a gentleman and learn from your mistakes.
However, it seems like this is too hard for some people to understand, and I could say the same for Bandai Namco. Despite the constant complaints from players, the developer has been unable to solve this problem.
Why it matters: Such players make ranking up extremely hard in an already difficult game. The higher up you go in rank, the more pluggers you will find since people are more conscious about their rank at the higher level.
Bandai Namco Is To Be Blamed Here
I am an avid Tekken player, and pluggers annoy me every time. Dealing with rage quitters back to back can be extremely frustrating, especially when you are close to a promotion.
While I understand why players would want to rely on disconnecting before a loss, it still doesn’t make it any better. Even worse is Bandai Namco’s answer to the problem.
It has been a long time since Tekken 8 was released, and it’s not like this problem is new. Pluggers were just as rage-inducing in Tekken 7, so Bandai Namco should have had a solution ready by now.
FYI #TEKKEN8
We have taken the following actions to suspend accounts, up to and including indefinitely, of users who have engaged in the following malicious and unauthorized play (Two types of ban were implemented: permanent ban and time-limited ban.)
Intentional disconnection…
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) March 15, 2024
During one of the TekkenTalk sessions, Harada discussed this problem, and many players were banned from the game. However, is this really an optimal solution? It seemed to work for a while, but the number of rage quitters hasn’t decreased significantly.
The team has even set up a reporting system, asking users to submit reports on Twitter. How absurd is that? Instead of a basic universal solution, Bandai Namco seems to be going through all the hoops to solve a problem it has created.
Plugging Should Count As A Loss
In theory, the bans can solve plugging, but the optimal solution is sometimes the simplest.
Just take points away from the player who disconnected. Sure, this might unfairly penalize genuine players when their internet connection goes out sometimes, but it will solve the problem at its core.
Pluggers can quit all they want, but if they lose the points, they will have no option but to adapt and improve at the game. Any bans or further penalties would be the icing on the cake at that point.
I can understand that certain characters in this game can easily get you riled up. However, learning and adapting is the name of the game. In any case, plugging isn’t justified.
Bandai Namco Should Learn From Mortal Kombat
If you haven’t played Mortal Kombat, you might still know about the fatalities and brutalities. However, Mortal Kombat X introduced the quitalities. This one, in particular, is hilarious and trolls the quitters.
Anytime someone quits a match in Mortal Kombat, their body explodes on its own, and it counts as a loss for them. This can create genuinely hilarious moments, alleviating the stress of dealing with plugging after an intense match.
I believe Tekken 8 should adopt a similar method to deal with rage quitting. The studio’s decision to permanently or temporarily ban players has proved to be a poor way of handling the situation.
Comment
byu/RiptideStorm from discussion
inOutOfTheLoop
Mortal Kombat’s solution, on the other hand, is as efficient as it can get. NetherRealm Studios had this figured out in 2015, so I fail to understand why Bandai Namco has done everything to avoid it.
Perma bans are never great to see, especially when it comes to a game that costs $70. In my opinion, a loss, point deductions, and temporary bans should be more than enough.
It seems Bandai Namco’s mind is made up. Despite Tekken 8’s ongoing success, the team has failed to address such a critical problem. I am almost at my limits myself, and if the studio Is unable to issue an optimal fix, I will inevitably just quit and move on.
There are already too many great fighting games to play, so there is little point in staying around to suffer like this in Tekken 8.
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