Roger Jr. returns to Tekken 8: the kangaroo gets a release date and over 4 minutes of gameplay

The most famous kangaroo in fighting games is back. Bandai Namco has confirmed that Roger Jr. will join Tekken 8 on November 11 for owners of the Season 3 Character Pass. Everyone else will be able to buy him separately from November 16 on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. As reported by Vandal, the announcement came with a trailer featuring more than four minutes of gameplay, shown during EVO France 2026, which covers a good chunk of his moveset, combos and special attacks.

It might look like a fun side story, but it's more than that. Roger Jr. hasn't appeared in a Tekken game since Tekken Tag Tournament 2, over a decade ago, and his return is the third DLC of a season that has already brought Kunimitsu and Bob. Every new character shifts the meta, forces players to study matchups and opens a window for content creators. And the fact that this one is a kangaroo in boxing gloves gives it a tone the community rarely greets with indifference.

What you need to know

• November 11: access for Season 3 Character Pass owners.
• November 16: available to all players who buy him separately.
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series and PC.
• Trailer: more than four minutes of gameplay shown at EVO France 2026.
• Context: he's the third Season 3 character, after Kunimitsu and Bob, and his last appearance was in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Season 3 schedule and context

The early access formula is standard practice in Tekken 8 by now: pass owners play first, standalone buyers wait a few days. This time the gap is five days, enough for the first players to hit training mode to gain an edge in character knowledge before he reaches the bulk of the player base.

As for where the character sits within the season, the order is: Kunimitsu first, then Bob, and now Roger Jr. Three returning names with history in the series, which makes Bandai Namco's strategy clear: leaning on nostalgia and beloved characters rather than betting on completely new faces.

Why a return after so long matters

More than ten years away from the series means that a large part of today's Tekken community has never played as or against Roger Jr. For veterans it will be a reunion; for players who joined with Tekken 7 or Tekken 8, he'll be practically a new character. That has direct consequences: nobody has built up matchup experience, so the first few weeks will be pure discovery, both in ranked matches and in tournaments.

Revealing him at EVO France 2026 was no coincidence either. Showing gameplay in front of a competitive audience is a statement of intent: Bandai Namco wants people to take seriously a character many associate more with comedy than with high-level play.

Our take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we're celebrating his return. Characters with a strong personality are the ones that work best in clips, on stream and in community debates, and a boxing kangaroo has everything it takes to become a crowd favorite. For content creators, launch week is gold: beginner guides, first combos, reactions and the inevitable test runs in ranked.

That said, there's one part we're less convinced by. The five-day early access for pass buyers once again rewards those who pay up front in a game that lives on competition. It doesn't break anything, but it does create a small knowledge gap right when the character is least understood. And Season 3 is leaning heavily on returning characters: bringing back classics is great, but we hope Bandai Namco doesn't stop taking risks with new concepts.

What will really decide whether Roger Jr. is more than a curiosity is his balance. A charismatic character who turns out weak ends up as a footnote; one who's overtuned can ruin weeks of ranked. Our advice for the team's competitive players: use the trailer to study his tools before launch and set aside training mode time in those first weeks, because coming into the matchup prepared will be a real advantage.

What do you think?

Are you happy to see Roger Jr. back, or would you rather Season 3 had gone for new characters? Do you think he can make a run in tournaments, or will he stay a just-for-fun pick? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and tell us: are you going to put hours into the kangaroo from day one?