Japanese Tekken Players Are Likening Tekken 6’s Rollback Netcode Mod to Serious Crimes and the Fighting Game Community Is Split

Two weeks ago, a Tekken player named Ekspym created a mod that enabled online play with rollback netcode for Tekken 6, igniting a heated debate among both Western and Japanese/Korean players. The mod quickly gained traction, amassing over 10,000 players by October 17 and 4,547 downloads by October 15, despite the readme stating it contains no PS3 firmware or the game itself.

The mod sparked a viral conversation about the state of Tekken 8, with many preferring Tekken 6. However, it received significant backlash from Japanese and Korean players, including pro gamer Dogura and user Higemura, who expressed horror and fear that the Tekken series might end due to the mod. Japanese players take copyright very seriously, considering such mods outright theft.

This attitude was echoed by some Korean players, with one likening it to sexual assault. The situation prompted a widespread discussion within the fighting game community, contrasting the more lenient attitudes toward mods among Western players. Some argued that using a broken game is no different from repairing a broken bike, while others questioned why developers should not receive payment for old games in the secondhand market.

Despite the controversy, Ekspym's mod remains active and has not faced pushback from Bandai Namco, though this has sparked debate among Japanese players who argue that some pro players are already using cracked arcade cabinets.