Video games are the way a lot of us bond with our loved ones. Whether it’s family, a partner, or a group of friends gathering to play Helldivers 2, some of our most cherished memories with people we care about are facilitated through games. Thankfully, some games give us a means to immortalize those who are gone, and that’s just what Tekken 8 is doing for a fan who lost their sparring partner.
Reddit user Melodic_Insect1356 posted on the Tekken subreddit, saying they suddenly lost their brother. According to the post, their sibling, a 26-year-old Tekken fan, mained Lee and had been putting a lot of time into playing Tekken 8 in an effort to rank up and play at local tournaments in Texas. Melodic_Insect1356 asked the community if there was a way to save their brother’s AI ghost to play against, even if it was a “poor imitation.” These ghosts are essentially mock-ups of a player’s fighting style that learn how you use a character after studying your fights. You can use them as a training partner to practice responses to your friends’ strategies.
After the post started circulating on X (formerly Twitter), it caught the attention of Tekken 8 producer Katsuhiro Harada and director Kohei Ikeda. They both offered condolences and confirmed that AI ghost data can be downloaded locally to a player’s system. This way, you can keep it even if it’s wiped from the game’s servers.
Melodic_Insect1356 responded on Reddit, saying, “This was wholly unexpected. Thanks to everyone here and to the Tekken team. We truly have something special here.” It’s heartwarming to see the community come together to help a fighter in need. I recently immortalized my dog, who passed a year ago this month, in a copy of Pokemon White 2, so I know how special it can feel to keep a piece of someone who’s gone in a game we love.
