[Update: Bandai Namco has since confirmed the leak with the official Season 4 Launch Trailer, announcing Kunimitsu’s return along with an all-new stage. The trailer can be watched here, and the original article continues below.]
Bandai Namco Brazil has leaked out the existence of Kunimitsu as the lead character for a fourth season pass for Tekken 7. A character appearing in the first two Tekken games before falling off the main roster in future sequels, fans also got the chance to play as Kunimitsu in the two Tekken Tag Tournament games. She’s a red-haired shinobi who routinely hides her face behind her signature white fox mask. She has been associated heavily with other ninja characters in Tekken games, sharing assets with Yoshimitsu in the earliest games and sharing a victory pose with Raven in Tag Tournament 2.
Tekken 7 already has 14 additional characters up for purchase, representing every previous game in the series as well as several other franchises. In addition to fighting game bosses like Akuma and Geese, Tekken 7 boasts genre debuts from Final Fantasy XV‘s Noctis and The Walking Dead‘s Negan. The game, which made its arcade debut in Japan in 2015 and its home debut in 2017, is one of the most well-supported fighting games in a generation full of long-lasting titles. Bandai Namco is looking to continue that support into the coming year.
For a brief moment that was captured by Flying_Wonkey Twitter, Bandai Namco Brazil jumped the gun and publicized a video containing details about Season Pass 4 for Tekken 7. In the video, players got their first looks at Kunimitsu in her first mainline appearance since Tekken 2 in 1996. Her default costume returns to full ninja garb rather than the flower dress she wore in Tekken Tag Tournament 2. The fox mask does retain the style from that game, covering everything above the nose but exposing her mouth. Even more notable, the trailer shows Kunimitsu sans mask officially for the first time. Her young face and lack of a prominent scar that was heavily hinted at in past games make some fans think that a new red-haired woman has taken over the mantle.
The final shots of the trailer reveal the plan for Season 4, which includes a new stage for Kunimitsu and an additional character and stage in mid-2021. Kunimitsu herself will debut by the end of the year along with a host of new updates. These include new moves, an improved UI for the game, improved online play, and a revamped ranking system called Tekken Prowess. Kunimitsu was hinted at as a new DLC character alongside the announcement of season 4 a month ago, but this is the first confirmation that Tekken 7 players will have two new challengers to look forward to.
Considering how effortlessly Tekken 7 captures the magic of the franchise’s early days, it’s great to see the game’s roster expand to the size of a Tag Tournament release. This generation has seen fighting games recapture a lot of momentum, with old franchises returning and new contenders emerging all the time. Tekken has remained in the news thanks to crazy crossover characters and continued DLC, and it will be interesting to see if the game gets a new ultimate edition or update alongside next year’s DLC drop. With the new consoles looming and a lack of Xbox One X enhancement support, the game could use an upgrade in that department.
