Bandai Namco Entertainment confirmed the appearance of Kuma and Panda in "Tekken 7: Fated Retribution" at this year's King of Iron Fist Tournament Grand Finals on Saturday. Some details of the new Online Tournament Mode for the console version were also revealed along with the trailer which featured the move sets of the two fascinating bears.
Bandai Namco's Director and Tekken series Producer, Katsuhiro Harada emphasized during the said event that Kuma and Panda are returning as fully separate playable characters showcasing their completely different Rage Arts movesets. Kuma and Panda are two loyal bodyguards to their owners.
Kuma which meant "bear" in Japanese was abandoned while he was still a cub in the forest of Mishima estate. There, Heihachi Mishima found and made him his pet. Mishima saw potentials on the grizzly bear and decided to train him. When Kuma died, he left a son carrying the same name as his. The second Kuma is smarter and presents more powerful moves than his father. Mishima trained him in Kuma Shin Ken fighting style. Kuma's sole intention is to win over Paul Phoenix who defeated his father in the past.
Kuma is head over heels with the pet of Ling Xiaoyu, Panda. However, she does not share the same interest with him. Panda is the palette swap of Kuma and was trained by Mishima in Heihachi Style Advanced Kuma Shin Ken to be a protector of her owner, Ling Xiaoyu. These were the reasons why the giant panda bear shows some stance, moves and animation like of Kuma in her appearances in several Tekken game series.
PlayStation reports that Harada also revealed that the most anticipated console version of "Tekken 7: Fated Retribution." The new Online Tournament Mode is now part of the game. Players will now have the options for double and single elimination secured with passwords. The mode supports up to 7 players who may win "in-game content" like fight money and other items.
