Tekken 8's Dragunov Nerfs Explained

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Over the next month Tekken 8’s release, Bandai Namco Entertainment has had to drop the proverbial gaming nerf hammer on Dragunov several times to maintain overall balance. From the beginning, Dragunov proved to be a problematic character due to how strong his move set was, and as a result, he quickly gained popularity among the fan base – especially the professionals who participated in tournaments and ranked matches. Despite repeated nerf situations, he maintained his status as one Tekken 8The most powerful characters. However, the 1.09.01 patch update, released on October 29, brought much-needed balance changes to match the status quo, killing Dragunov and Alyssa with some back-to-earth edits.



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Dragunov Nerfs are gifts that keep on giving in Tekken 8 patch 1.09.01.

Dragunov nerfs have happened a few times Tekken 8With the community looking forward to almost every update, Bandai Namco is struggling to restore some semblance of order to its gameplay. While the developer has some way to go before ranked games are considered a level playing field, the purpose of the 1.09.01 patch was to bring “adjustments that were made to suppress the performance of Dragunov's overpowered moves. The following techniques were received. A nerf in the patch:

  • Ultra Russian Sickle
  • Swipe less
  • Double kick
  • heat involved


Hitbox and damage Nerfs come in hot Smash and low swipe “Razer”.

Dragunov's Ultra Russian Sickle (a hit smash activated by pressing 2 and 3 in heat) was a huge source of complaints within the community. The hitbox was too large to avoid, and players would report damage from the third attack even after successfully dodging the first two hits. Although there is currently no official explanation for the existence of such an issue in the first place, Bandai Namco responded by reducing the duration of the attack and restricting the hitbox area of ​​the third attack. This fix makes it less likely that opponents who stun the first two attacks will be penalized for going after Dragunov, which was proven in previous versions.

In this patch, while the Ultra Russian Sickle nerf may take the headlines, other techniques in his repertoire also received substantial nerfs. Dragunov's low swipe (which made him a Tekken 8’s best punishing characters) didn’t come off as safe, as this move now only deals 14 damage, as opposed to 17 before the patch note was released. However, while the solution brings a welcome change, many fans argue that the problem was not in the damage dealt, but in the tracking and startup frames.


Dragunov's Low Swipe is a homing low attack with an ultra-fast startup frame and a decent range, making it practically impossible to track with the eye. This advantage makes it one of the most reliable ways to quickly end matches that come down to chip damage or down to the wire. Reducing the damage dealt by three points makes Low Swipe a little less of a death sentence, but doesn't solve the underlying problem, and as such, doesn't do much to change its perception as an overpowering technique.

Bandai Namco revisits Dragunov's Double Kick and Heat Engager in a new patch

Along with Ultra Russian Sickle and Low Swipe, Tundra Slash has long been another homing thorn in players' sides. Previously almost impossible to dodge, the new update has made it a little easier to dodge its deadly damage. When the first kick misses, the tracking performance and hitbox of the second hit degrades greatly, ending in scenarios where players dodge the first kick only to be met by the second.


The attack is now much more linear, and players can shut down Dragunov immediately after the first kick misses and punish him for going wide of the mark since the second kick is almost guaranteed to miss. Bandai Namco's Dragunov also has an ignition switch on its hit list. This technique is one of the most powerful moves in his repertoire due to its utility – first giving opponents advantages such as easy knockdowns and wall stuns to chain deadly combos.

Bandai Namco has removed those aspects of its usefulness, but it still gives Dragunov a +8 frame advantage with a successful hit while keeping opponents close. It's not clear if the developer is finished with Dragunov's nerfs, but these new changes have gone a long way to shake things up. Tekken 8The current meta.

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