Tekken 7: Two Returning Characters Will Join the Roster as Well as a Brand New Feature

The latest installment in the Tekken series, Tekken 7 is scheduled for release sometime next year. Bandai Namco added two returning characters to the roster as well as a brand new feature.

Bandai Namco Entertainment announced that two returning characters will join the fray. Both Kuma and Panda will be playable in Tekken 7. The two bears are already playable in the Japanese version and they'll be coming to the console version of the game. Long-time Tekken players should be familiar with Kuma (Japanese term for "Bear"). Kuma has been around since the first Tekken game. Kuma appeared to be Heihachi Mishima's pet and a loyal asset in the Mishima Zaibatsu. He was once defeated by Jin and later found his master, Heihachi again.

As for Panda, she is the same with Kuma. She is Ling Xiaoyu's pet and bodyguard. When her master set off on a dangerous journey to retrieve Jin, Panda followed after his master to keep him safe. She's supposed to be Kuma's love interest but it was never shown if the two bears have some sort of connection with each other.

Bandai Namco also announced that Tekken 7 will have an online tournament system. The online tournament system will let players from all over the world compete with each other at the comfort of their homes. Along with other seven participants, players can host their own tournaments. There's also a Spectator Mode for those who wish to be an observer in the tournament. The online tournament also sports in-game rewards such as money and other items as rewards to winning participants.

Bandai Namco also released a trailer, showing off the two new bears in action. Check out the trailer below. Tekken 7 is scheduled for release for PlayStation 4, XBox One, and PC via Steam early 2017.