The producer behind the Tekken franchise has reached out to fans for feedback regarding the possible inclusion of an Arab fighter in the upcoming seventh chapter in the beat-’em-up franchise.
Katsuhiro Harada posted an image of the new character on Facebook, though stressed the design is not final, nor is the mystery brawler guaranteed to appear in the upcoming Tekken 7.
“To be honest, we did have an idea of an Arab fighter since 2008, but since most of the development team members are Japanese and do not know much about the Middle Eastern culture or clothes, we were not able to fully design it back then," said Harada-san.
"But in recent years I have been visiting places such as Dubai and Saudi Arabia, and many of the development staff members have been learning about Middle Eastern culture and designs.
"If the Tekken community, especially those in the Middle Eastern area, end up liking this character, I would like to feature this character in the game. On the other hand, if this character is not received well by the Middle Eastern Tekken fan community members, there is a possibility that the character will be considerably changed or letting go of the idea of featuring this character in the game."
Feedback so far has been positive, though it has been suggested by one fan that Namco adopts a falcon for the design, since this is the national bird for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"The development team likes this design and think that this character is a cool Arab fighter, but if there is something in particular to mention, please do let us know," he continued.
"We would like it if you all do like the character as well."
Tekken 7 is in development for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One. The game will act as a conclusion to the Mishima family feud, and sees the return of Kazuya’s mother, who was previously thought murdered at Heihachi’s hands.
Stay tuned to PSU for more details.