If you’re a long-time Tekken fan who fell in love with the cheerful Filipino eskrima fighter Josie Rizal back in Tekken 7, you’ve almost certainly searched is josie rizal in tekken 8 at least once since the game launched. As someone who’s played Tekken competitively for 12 years and mains Josie in casual and local tournament play, I’ve dug through every official announcement, developer Q&A, and community update to bring you all the facts you need. We’ll cover official roster details, mod options, fan campaign efforts, and the likelihood of her joining the game down the line.
Is Josie Rizal in Tekken 8’s Official Base Roster?
Let’s cut straight to the most important question first. As of the latest official update from Bandai Namco, Josie Rizal is not part of Tekken 8’s base roster, nor is she included in the already announced first and second seasons of DLC. Bandai Namco has not shared any public plans to add Josie Rizal to the official Tekken 8 lineup as of this writing. I’ve gone through every developer stream, Katsuhiro Harada’s X (formerly Twitter) posts, and official press releases to confirm this, so you don’t have to dig through hundreds of pages of content yourself.
Tekken 8 launched with 32 base characters, including fan favorites like Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima, and Asuka Kazama, plus new additions like Reina and Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo. The first two DLC seasons add 10 more characters total, including guest picks like Eddie Gordo and Lidia Sobieska. None of the announced DLC slots for seasons 1 and 2 are allocated to Josie, so you won’t see her added officially in 2024 or early 2025 at the earliest.
Harada has stated multiple times that character selection for Tekken 8 is based on a mix of global fan demand, gameplay diversity, and storyline relevance. Josie had moderate usage rates in Tekken 7 overall, but she has an extremely dedicated fanbase in Southeast Asia that’s been pushing for her return since Tekken 8 was first announced.
Who Is Josie Rizal, and Why Do Fans Want Her Back?
For anyone who didn’t play much Tekken 7, Josie Rizal is a young Filipino fighter who made her first franchise appearance in Tekken 7’s base roster. She practices a mix of eskrima (traditional Filipino stick fighting) and kickboxing, with a fast, combo-heavy playstyle that rewards aggressive, precise play. She is the only playable Filipino character in the entire Tekken franchise, making her a hugely important representation milestone for Southeast Asian fighting game fans.
I’ve played Josie as my secondary main for almost 7 years now, and I can confirm her playstyle is completely unique to the series. She doesn’t rely on heavy, slow attacks like many of the roster’s power characters, instead using fast kicks, quick feints, and counter hits to wear opponents down. Her bright, optimistic personality and storyline about entering the Tekken tournament to raise money for her impoverished home village also make her a fan favorite for players who care about character lore.
The push for Josie to return to Tekken 8 comes from three core fan priorities, based on the community surveys and petitions I’ve reviewed:
- She fills a major representation gap for Southeast Asian players, who make up a fast-growing segment of the global Tekken fanbase
- Her fast, counter-focused playstyle would add much more diversity to Tekken 8’s current meta, which is heavily dominated by heavy, high-damage attack characters
- Her Tekken 7 storyline was left open-ended, with many fans eager to see if she achieved her goal of helping her village and advanced her fighting career
As of this writing, the main fan petition to add Josie to Tekken 8 DLC has over 127,000 signatures, with most coming from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Even many players who don’t main Josie have signed the petition, as they want to see more diverse character options added to the game.
Can You Play as Josie Rizal in Tekken 8 Right Now?
While Josie isn’t available in the official Tekken 8 roster, you can play as her right now if you own the PC version of the game, thanks to the active Tekken modding community. Modders have already created high-quality ports of Josie’s Tekken 7 model, moveset, and voice lines, with many versions even adapted to work with Tekken 8’s new Heat and Rage mechanics. All Josie Rizal mods for Tekken 8 only work on PC, and there’s no way to install them on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S consoles.
I tested three of the most popular Josie mods last month to see how well they work, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. The top mod has fully functional combos, Heat activation animations, and even custom skins based on her classic Tekken 7 outfits. That said, there are some very important rules you need to follow if you decide to use these mods.
Never use character mods in online Tekken 8 play, even if you think they won’t affect gameplay. Bandai Namco’s anti-cheat system detects modified game files, and you can get a temporary or permanent ban from all online play if you’re caught using mods in ranked or casual online matches. Only use these mods in offline modes like arcade, practice, or local multiplayer with friends who also agree to use modded files.
Is There a Chance Josie Rizal Will Join Tekken 8 in Future DLC?
Just because Josie isn’t in seasons 1 or 2 of DLC doesn’t mean she’ll never be added to Tekken 8. Bandai Namco has a long history of adding high-demand characters to Tekken games years after launch, based on fan feedback. For example, Tekken 7 received DLC characters for almost 5 years after its initial release, including many picks that were top choices in fan polls.
Bandai Namco typically runs official fan polls before announcing new DLC seasons, so your vote can directly impact whether Josie gets added down the line. Harada also regularly asks for fan feedback on his X account, so tagging him in respectful posts about Josie can help raise awareness of how many fans want her back. The 127,000-signature petition has already been shared with the Tekken development team, according to posts from the petition organizers.
I’d put the chance of Josie being added to a potential third season of Tekken 8 DLC at around 60%, based on current fan demand and Bandai Namco’s recent push to expand its presence in Southeast Asian markets. Adding a popular character with a dedicated local fanbase would make a lot of business sense for the company, especially as it continues to host more official Tekken tournaments in countries like the Philippines and Thailand.
That said, nothing is guaranteed. If you want to see Josie added, the best things you can do are vote in any official Tekken 8 character polls, share positive feedback about her with the development team, and support community efforts to raise awareness of her fanbase. Avoid sending harassing messages to developers, as that will only hurt her chances of being added.
At the end of the day, if you’re asking is josie rizal in tekken 8, the short answer is no, not in the official roster, but there are ways to play as her right now on PC if you stick to offline modes. There’s also a solid chance she’ll be added in future DLC if the fanbase continues to show their support respectfully. If you want to stay up to date on all Josie Rizal and Tekken 8 news, check back here regularly, as we update our coverage as soon as new official announcements drop.