If you’ve ever pulled off a perfect Rage Art against a random online opponent and wanted a rematch, or wanted to grind ranked matches with a friend without waiting for random matchmaking, you probably already know how frustrating it can be to navigate Tekken 8’s somewhat clunky menu system. Even long-time Tekken fans often get lost between the character select screen, online lobby, and profile pages when they’re trying to connect with other players. We’ve put together this complete walkthrough to show you how to add people on Tekken 8 across every platform, so you can spend less time clicking through menus and more time perfecting your combos against people you actually want to play with.
Step-by-Step How to Add People on Tekken 8 for Your Platform
If you're new to the game, the process of how to add people on Tekken 8 might feel hidden at first, but it's actually really straightforward once you know which menu to open. First, make sure crossplay is enabled in your game settings if you're adding someone on a different platform, because disabled crossplay will block you from finding or receiving requests from players on other consoles or PC.
For PlayStation 5 users, start from the main menu, select the "Online" tab, then click your profile icon in the top right corner. Choose the "Find Players" option, and you can search either by a user's PSN ID or their in-game Tekken 8 display name. Once you pull up their profile, hit "Send Friend Request" and they'll get a notification the next time they check their in-game inbox. You can also add players directly from a match end screen by selecting their profile card and choosing the same request option.
For Xbox and PC (Steam) users, the steps are almost identical. Xbox players can search by gamertag or in-game name, while Steam users have the extra option to search by Steam friend code if you can't find someone via their display name. Crossplay lobbies work across all platforms, so you don't have to worry about what console your friend owns once you're connected on the game's friend list.
Common Issues When Adding Friends on Tekken 8 (And Fixes)
Most of these problems pop up because players don't realize the small settings that get in the way when you're trying to figure out how to add people on Tekken 8. We've compiled the most frequent issues players report, and simple fixes that work 99% of the time:
Privacy settings are the #1 cause of failed friend requests, so don't skip that check first. If you played against someone recently, you can also skip the search entirely by heading to the "Recent Players" tab in the Online menu, which will list every opponent you've matched with in the last 7 days.
What You Can Do Once You Add Friends on Tekken 8
Adding friends to your in-game list unlocks a ton of features you can't access when playing only with random opponents, and it makes the entire game feel way more social. Private custom matches are the biggest benefit, since you can tweak every rule from round length to whether Rage Arts are allowed, and even set up round-robin tournaments for your friend group with no third-party tools needed.
You can also join each other's public or private lobbies, so you don't have to wait in long matchmaking queues to play together. If you're someone who loves customizing your characters, you can share custom outfit slots, player titles, and even replay clips directly with people on your friend list, which is a fun feature most casual players never find.
I've found that playing with friends regularly helps me improve way faster than playing randoms, because we can call out each other's bad habits and test new strategies without worrying about losing ranked points. It's also way less frustrating than dealing with toxic random players who throw matches or spam cheap moves just to climb ranks.
Pro Tips for Managing Your Tekken 8 Friend List
Your Tekken 8 in-game friend list has a cap of 200 users, so it's worth keeping it organized if you play with a lot of different people. Organize your friend list by skill level if you use it for both casual play and ranked practice, that way you can quickly find someone to warm up with before jumping into ranked, or find a more challenging opponent when you're trying to climb the leaderboards.
You can adjust your notification settings to only alert you when close friends come online, instead of getting spammed every time any person on your list logs on. That's a huge quality of life tweak if you have a lot of people added, and it stops you from getting distracted mid-match by pop-up notifications.
If you run into a toxic player, don't just block them in-game, block them on your platform too. That stops them from sending you harassing messages outside of Tekken 8, and ensures they won't pop up in your matchmaking pool again. You don't owe anyone a spot on your friend list, so don't feel bad removing people you don't play with anymore to free up space for new training partners.
At the end of the day, Tekken 8 is way more fun when you're playing against people you know, whether you're chasing a top rank or just messing around with silly custom matches. Learning how to add people on Tekken 8 takes less than a minute once you know where to look, and it opens up a ton of extra features you'd never get playing with randoms alone. Next time you run into an opponent who plays a fun playstyle or gives you a really close match, don't hesitate to send them a friend request – you might just find your new favorite training partner. Don't forget to double check your crossplay and privacy settings first, though, to make sure your request actually goes through.