It’s been almost 9 years since we last got a Tekken game. Now that Tekken 8 is here, it comes with more than just improved graphics. Not only have the rage arts and some of the movesets changed, but the game has also added a new mechanic known as the heat system. This changes how you play in many ways, as it promotes an aggressive approach. Aggressive does not mean reckless though, while it is powerful enough to leave your opponent in a corner, someone who knows how to play around it can just as easily turn it against you. So here’s how the Tekken 8 Heat system works.

Street Fighter 6 players may see it as similar to the Drive system. While they may share some similarities at first glance, the two have quite a few differences. So here’s how to activate Heat Burst, as well as how to use Heat Dash and Smash, along with the other moves.

When a round starts, you will see a blue bar just below your Health bar. This is none other than your Heat meter. When you activate it, you will enter Heat status and a steam-like effect will come out of your character. This can also be seen when the Heat bar starts to glow. While in Heat status, you will gain a buff to the properties of some of your moves. This will vary from character to character.

There are two important things to know about the heat status. The first is that this status lasts for 10 seconds after it is activated. However, it will temporarily stop decreasing while you attack. The next is that opponents who block the attack will take chip damage. This will cause a portion of their health bar to turn gray or white. This health is recoverable if they return damage to you or attack you.