If you’re a long-time Tekken fan, you probably spent hours mastering Christie Monteiro’s fluid capoeira combos back in Tekken 4 and 5, right? I know I used to main her in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, pulling off those high-flying kick strings that left my friends spamming block and begging for mercy. So when Tekken 8 dropped, one of the first questions I typed into search was is christie in tekken 8, because I couldn’t imagine picking up the new entry without my go-to fighter. Like thousands of other players, I was left disappointed at first, but there’s a lot more to unpack about her possible return than you might think.
Is Christie in Tekken 8's Base Roster?
The short, straightforward answer is no, Christie is not part of the official Tekken 8 base roster. Bandai Namco released the full list of 32 launch fighters three months before the game’s official release, and Christie’s name was nowhere to be found. She’s far from the only fan favorite left out, either: other popular missing characters include Julia Chang, Miguel Caballero Rojo, and Lei Wulong, all of whom have had large fanbases for multiple entries.
I went through the entire character select screen three times when I first booted up the game, just to make sure I didn’t miss her hidden behind a DLC lock or pre-order bonus, but there was no sign of her. When fans started flooding the official Tekken Twitter account with questions about her absence, the dev team only gave vague responses about “future roster expansions” with no concrete confirmation either way.
The base Tekken 8 roster focuses heavily on characters with direct ties to the Mishima clan conflict, which makes sense because the story mode wraps up the 20-year long Kazuya vs Jin arc. Characters that don’t have direct stakes in that central plot were cut from the launch lineup to keep the story focused and tight, so Christie’s absence isn’t a sign that the dev team has forgotten about her entirely.
Why Do Fans Want Christie Back in Tekken 8 So Badly?
If you’ve ever pulled off Christie’s 10-hit capoeira combo against a friend who swore they were unbeatable, you know exactly why demand for her to be added to Tekken 8 is so high. She fills a completely unique niche in the roster that no other current fighter comes close to matching, with a playstyle that’s accessible for new players but has enough depth for pro players to dominate tournaments with.
Her core move set relies on fast, low sweeps and unpredictable high kicks that are hard to counter if you don’t have her frame data memorized, making her a perfect pick for players who like to keep their opponents guessing. She also has a ton of personality, with fun, upbeat win animations and a story arc that still has loose ends left to wrap up, including her quest to help her grandfather Eddy Gordo break free from Mishima Zaibatsu control.
The demand for her return isn’t just limited to casual players, either. I’ve seen dozens of threads on fan forums and social media with thousands of likes, all asking Bandai Namco to bring her back, and even multiple pro players have publicly pushed for her addition to balance the current meta. The top reasons fans are begging for her return include:
- Her one-of-a-kind capoeira move set adds unique variety to the roster, with no other fighter matching her fast, low sweep and high kick combination playstyle
- She has a dedicated casual fanbase that has mained her for over 20 years, dating back to her first appearance in Tekken 4
- Her story arc, focused on saving her grandfather Eddy Gordo from the Mishima Zaibatsu, still has loose ends that haven't been wrapped up in recent franchise entries
Many pro players have also noted that the current Tekken 8 roster is missing a true low-pressure mix-up fighter that fills the niche Christie used to occupy. Most of the current top-tier characters rely on heavy counter hits and long, high-damage combos, so Christie’s addition would force players to adjust their playstyle entirely, creating far more interesting and varied matchups at every skill level.
Will Christie Be Added as Tekken 8 DLC Later?
There’s no official confirmation that Christie will be added as DLC yet, but all signs point to her being a very likely addition in future seasons. Bandai Namco supported Tekken 7 with four full seasons of DLC over three years, adding 14 new fighters post-launch, including multiple fan favorites that didn’t make the base roster. They’ve already confirmed that they plan to support Tekken 8 for at least the same length of time, so there’s plenty of opportunity for her to be added.
The first season of Tekken 8 DLC is set to run through the end of this year, with four total fighters planned. The first, Eddy Gordo, dropped in April and has already become one of the most popular DLC fighters in the game’s first few months. That’s a huge positive sign for Christie fans, because it means the dev team is still invested in the capoeira fighter line and knows there’s high demand for that playstyle.
Leaks from reliable Tekken insiders have hinted that Christie is on the shortlist for season 2 DLC, though nothing has been officially announced as of now. Bandai Namco also ran an official fan survey earlier this year asking players which missing characters they wanted to see added as DLC, and Christie topped almost every unofficial count of the results. Just make sure you don’t trust any random sites claiming to have a confirmed release date for her, because most of those are just clickbait designed to get you to download sketchy files.
How to Play as Christie in Tekken 8 Right Now (Unofficially)
If you don’t want to wait for an official announcement to play as Christie, PC players have the option to use community-made mods to add her to the game right now. Most of the top Christie mods replace Eddy Gordo’s character model and tweak his move set to match Christie’s classic strings, so the animations feel natural and true to her past appearances.
Most of these mods include all of her iconic classic costumes, from her Tekken 4 tracksuit to her tropical beach outfit from Tekken 7, and some modders have even added custom crossover costumes if you want to mix things up. But there are some very important caveats you need to keep in mind before you download any mods.
Mods only work in offline play or private lobbies with other players who have the same mod installed. You can’t use them in ranked matches or any official online modes, because Bandai Namco’s anti-cheat system will flag them as unauthorized modifications, and you could get a permanent ban from online play. It’s never worth risking your account just to play as Christie in ranked, so stick to offline play or casual matches with friends who also have the mod installed.
Always download mods from trusted, verified modding communities to avoid downloading malware or files that will corrupt your game save. If you play on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, there’s no way to use these mods right now, so you’ll have to wait for official news if you want to play as Christie on console.
At the end of the day, if you’re asking is christie in tekken 8 right now, the short answer is no, but that doesn’t mean she won’t join the roster down the line. Bandai Namco has a long history of listening to fan feedback, and the overwhelming demand for her return makes it very likely we’ll see her announced as DLC in the next year or so. If you’re itching to practice capoeira combos in the meantime, Eddy Gordo’s DLC moveset has a lot of the same strings you’re used to from Christie, so you can get a feel for the playstyle while you wait. For PC players, the modding scene has you covered if you just want to mess around with her classic design and moves offline. I’ll be updating this post as soon as we get any official announcements about her addition, so check back regularly if you’re as big a Christie fan as I am.