'Tekken 7' release date, characters and DLC: New details revealed by game director

Tekken 7 is set to launch on PS4, Xbox One and PC early next year, but we still don't have a set release date for the latest entry in the classic Japanese fighting series. Thankfully, a recent interview with the game's producer, Katsuhiro Harada, offers a ton of new details on what to expect once Tekken 7 finally launches in the U.S.

Tekken 7 release date for PS4, Xbox One and PC

PlayStationLifeStyle asked Harada whether Tekken 7 is still on schedule for an early 2017 release, but he didn't offer a very encouraging answer.

"There's never easy going with development," Harada said, "but everyone is giving 120% to create the best Tekken possible."

Hopefully, that means Tekken 7 will arrive as planned early next year, but it's possible the release date could get pushed further into 2017. In the meantime, you can preorder Tekken 7 right now if you're feeling impatient.

Tekken 7 characters: More surprises coming?

When asked which character he recommends for new players, Harada suggested Katarina, a kickboxer making her debut in Tekken 7.

"I would definitely recommend Katarina to newcomers," he said. "It's a lot of fun even mashing the kick buttons to see a great variety of different attacks, and her combos aren't too difficult."

Harada also discussed the decision to include Akuma in Tekken 7. The popular Street Fighter character is apparently set to play a key role in the new game's plot.

"Akuma actually is part of the Mishima storyline in some way," he said. "I would also hesitate to call him a 'guest character' because he is hardly a guest. He is a formidable foe."

PSLS followed up with another question, asking if we'll see any other cross-over guest fighters in Tekken 7, but Harada wouldn't give a straight answer. 

"I don't know," he said. "My sole focus now is to try to finish the game and make it awesome!"

There's a ton of new characters already confirmed for Tekken 7. The list includes Gigas, a hulking cyborg, and Lucky Chloe, who wears a cat costume and uses a method of dance-style fighting. But the biggest addition to the series is likely Kazumi, the wife of long-time Tekken villain Heihachi Mishima. Kazumi looks like a pretty interesting fighter, with the ability to levitate and even summon a tiger into battle.

Tekken 7 DLC: Get ready to pay for it

Harada also hinted that this could be the first Tekken game to charge for downloadable content, often called DLC, but that's not necessarily bad news.

"Up until now, our DLC was free," he said, "but we were only able to provide free content for two to three months after launch. However, current feedback from players has been that they want to see a longer span of support after the release, so we are currently still discussing our plans for DLC."