Google Cloud has been selected by Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. as the cloud provider behind Tekken 8, the critically acclaimed fighting game released in January 2024. As part of a collaboration between Google Cloud, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Diarkis Inc., Tekken 8 is leveraging Google Cloud to help deliver reliable performance during peak usage when tens of thousands of people are playing concurrently.
The long-term success of a live service game is often determined by the success of its launch. One of the concerns game companies often have is network issues that prevent players from accessing the game or network latency that interferes with live gameplay. With Google Cloud, Bandai Namco can handle live game workloads at planet-scale while ensuring that gameplay is consistent and reliable around the world.
“The Tekken series has reached its 30th anniversary, and we wanted to deliver the best content in the series yet. We have invested heavily in Tekken 8 to improve its overall quality, while making use of our know-how from previous titles. This includes not only the fighting game aspects, but also the addition of new features such as a large-scale online visual lobby where users can enjoy communication with each other. We are confident that we have created a game to be proud of, running on a cloud we can count on,” said Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken Project Executive Game Director, Bandai Namco.
Tekken 8 uses Google Cloud‘s secure network and auto-scaling capabilities of Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and Spanner. These products allow players to enjoy more seamless access to online and multiplayer components, enhancing community features and competitive modes.
Diarkis, a Japanese game middleware development company specializing in online multiplayer games, presented a case study on Tekken 8 on March 21, 2024 at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The presentation focused on Tekken 8’s high-speed matching functionality, which enables players to find and easily connect with opponents quickly. This is achieved through a combination of Google Cloud’s global infrastructure and Diarkis’ proprietary matchmaking algorithms.
“Working with Google Cloud ensures seamless, scalable, and secure launches across our titles, enabling us to host massive numbers of players simultaneously while maintaining peak performance,” said Nobuyori Takahashi, CEO and Founder, Diarkis.
“At Google Cloud, we believe that a game’s success should be based on player experience, and not limited by legacy online infrastructure,” said Jack Buser, director of Games, Google Cloud. “By bringing the best of Google to game developers around the world, we support Bandai Namco Entertainment’s mission to create unforgettable gameplay experiences that stay in the hearts and minds of players for generations to come.”
