Veteran Tekken 8 fighter Anna Williams is making a stylish comeback, but her new look has stirred a mix of reactions among fans. While many are thrilled with the redesign, a vocal minority has drawn comparisons to Santa Claus, sparking a heated debate.

When a fan requested the return of Anna's classic design, Tekken's game director and chief producer, Katsuhiro Harada, responded sharply. Harada defended the new design, stating, "If you prefer the old design, I am not taking those away from you." He emphasized that while 98% of fans welcomed the change, it's natural for some to have differing tastes. "While 98% of the fans are welcoming this, there will always be people like you," Harada wrote, pointing out that past games featuring the old design are still available. He also criticized the fan for claiming to speak for all Anna enthusiasts, urging them to voice their opinions individually. Harada further lambasted the fan's approach as unconstructive and disrespectful to other fans eagerly anticipating the new Anna.

In another exchange, when a commenter criticized Tekken for not re-releasing older games with updated netcode and called Harada's response a "joke," the director retorted, "Thank you for POINTLESS reply. You yourself are the joke. MUTED."

Despite some criticism, the overall reception to Anna's new look remains largely positive. Fans like AngryBreadRevolution praised the design, expressing satisfaction with a more edgy and vengeful Anna. "Before she was announced I was hoping for an edgier, angry, violent Anna out for revenge for her fiance's death and so I'm quite happy with this design!" they said, appreciating the new hairstyle and outfit details, though some elements, like the coat resembling Christmas attire, were less favored. Other fans, such as troonpins and Cheap_Ad4756, had mixed feelings, with some feeling the design made Anna appear younger and less of the dominatrix she used to be. Spiralqq critiqued the outfit for being overdesigned and too reminiscent of Santa Claus, suggesting it would look better without the coat.

The discussion around Anna's new look has been lively on platforms like Reddit, where fans continue to share their thoughts and preferences. The debate underscores the passion and diversity of opinions within the Tekken community.

Tekken 8 has achieved significant commercial success, selling 3 million copies within a year of its release—a faster pace than Tekken 7, which took 10 years to reach 12 million copies worldwide. In IGN's Tekken 8 review, the game was praised as an "amazing new entry in the long-running series," earning a 9/10 score. The review highlighted the game's innovative tweaks to its fighting system, enjoyable offline modes, new characters, robust training tools, and enhanced online experience, noting that "By honoring its legacy, but continuing to move forward, Tekken 8 manages to stand out as something special."