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Jeannail “Cuddle_Core” was among the players at the Red Bull Pindrop Tekken 8 tournament this weekend. An incredibly talented fighting game player, Jeannail can do it all — whether coaching or competing, she’s a remarkable talent. Representing Red Bull and Cloud 9, she took part in this weekend’s event. Ahead of the actual combat, I had a chance to chat with Jeannail about Tekken 8, the event itself, and so much more.
A coach for XO Academy and noted fighting game player in her own right, it was a pleasure to chat with her ahead of this event. Tekken 8 hasn’t even come out, yet the hype for the game is unreal. Here’s what Cuddle_Core had to say about Tekken 8, Red Bull Pindrop, and more.
Cuddle_Core opens up about Tekken 8, advice for beginners, Red Bull Pindrop, and much more
Q. First, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, Cuddle_Core! Could you please introduce yourself to our audience?
Cuddle_Core: Hi, everyone. My name is Cuddle Core, and I’m a professional Tekken 7 player for Red Bull Gaming and Cloud 9!
Q. You’ve got quite a lot of experience competing in both Tekken 7 and Tekken Tag 2. How much time have you had with the CBT build of Tekken 8 going into this event?
Cuddle_Core: I’ve had a nice amount of time with the CBT before the event. I’ve had about six hours each day on the weekend. I didn’t even expect to get that much time, but I’m grateful that I did. I adored every single moment with it. The music was great, and the hit effects and the sound effects were phenomenal. The characters played great.
My character played so smoothly. I love the new tools that she's been given, and she feels more complete. She has a lot more going for her in this game, so I am super excited. Every time I did something in the game, I was like, "Ooh, that’s hot! That’s nice!" The great thing about exploring a new game as a pro player, or any kind of player, is all the "aha" moments you get to have with it, so that was really exciting for me, and I can’t wait to do that more with the final version.
Q. You’re known for your incredible skill with both Alisa and Xiaoyu, and both are thankfully playable in Tekken 8. Have you had a hard time determining who you want to main going forward?
Cuddle_Core: I never believe in having one main. You can have five mains if you want! But I will be maining both of them. At one point in Tekken 7, I was just using Alisa, but then my friends encouraged me to use Xiaoyu two seasons in. Since then, I vowed I would never drop Xiaoyu again, she’s such a crucial part of my gameplay.
I can't have one without the other and’ll never do that again. So, with Tekken 8 coming in and using both girls from the jump, it’s so appropriate.
Q. Tekken 8 also has quite a few new characters joining the pack — how are these looking to you? Is anyone poised to take a slot as someone you focus a great deal of time on?
Cuddle_Core: I’m really interested in Victor. The trailer that he had was amazing! He kind of reminded me of Léon: The Professional — I love that movie. His stage is gorgeous and the vibes are all perfect. I love that he somewhat mimics Kunimitsu as well. But I just like the whole demeanor of the character — the quiet, calm, smooth, suave spy, who I guess was in charge of the Raven Clan. So I’m really curious about his story, and I would definitely like to put some time into Victor for sure.
Q. How’s the competition looking to you in the Red Bull Pindrop event? Is there anyone you’re especially concerned about or excited to play against?
Cuddle_Core: So, for the competition, I’m really just looking forward to learning more and seeing how other people use the same resources that were all presented to us, like the heat system. I haven’t had a ton of time with Tekken 8. I’ve had a couple of hours — 12 max, so I’m using this more as an opportunity to see how other people use these mechanics and tools, how I use them, and how they respond to them as a good stepping stone for me, especially with Tekken 8 coming out next week.
Q. Tekken 8 is clearly one of the most highly-anticipated fighting games in 2024. Besides the intense action the game brings, what are you most excited about when it comes to playing Tekken 8?
Cuddle_Core: I look forward to a lot of things, but the creativity that I get to apply to my characters. They’re so unique in this game, like at the core, they play the same, but I get to explore all the new things they have, so it keeps the game fresh for me.
Not just that, but also seeing how their combos interact in different stages because of environmental damage and things like that so I can’t wait to explore all those things. Along with the stage music in general. I have to hear the game. I go by audio cues, so just experiencing the game as a whole is what I’m looking forward to.
Q. In addition to being a fighting game player, you’ve hosted, commentated, and coached with XO Academy. There are no doubt going to be plenty of newcomers or older returning players coming with Tekken 8, so is there any advice you’d like to give newcomers to help use their time in the game more efficiently?
Cuddle_Core: So, for newcomers, I really do recommend that they use the practice mode like your life depends on it. This is the best version of practice mode for Tekken that there’s ever been. Tekken 8 has really taken in all the complaints and concerns from the community and applied improvements to it, so people should definitely take advantage of it.
When you go into Ranked mode, and you’re fighting these really tough fights and losing or having a hard time, you can definitely go into Practice mode and check out maybe some things you can do better, things to punish or sidestep. They’ve made it more accessible for people to learn how to shut things down through practice mode, so definitely use that tool because it's the best it's ever been. As well as using ghost battle, I believe it can be very efficient.
Q. Who is looking to be the most powerful group of characters in Tekken 8, do you think? Or is this launch cast of characters fairly balanced, would you say?
Cuddle_Core: I’m not too sure about balance because I have to see it happen in real-time with the release and when the meta comes out in a couple of months. But I think because of the heat system and how everyone has their own unique tools that make them so powerful, I’m hoping that the balance looks better because everybody has their own gimmick that’s explosive in its own way. Everybody’s got something, and I think with Tekken 8, that’s super important.
Q. One thing that remains a mystery is Guest Characters. Who would you like to see join the cast? Whether it’s a fighting game character or someone from another genre?
Cuddle_Core: I always wanted Leon S Kennedy to be in Tekken. He’s one of the main characters from the Resident Evil series. I'm a huge fan. But I thought about how successful Akuma was. I mean, yeah, he’s a fighting game character, but Leon’s got combat. He does all of that in Resident Evil 4. He’s kind of like Victor, where he’s got the sword and the guns. I’m super biased anyway, though, but I think Leon would play amazing or Kiryu from Yakuza.
Q. While Tekken 8 sure does look impressive, does it have anything holding it back that you think the developers should look at going forward?
Cuddle_Core: Honestly, I haven't got to play it a ton, but from what I have played, I don't really think there's anything holding the game back as of right now. I feel like the creative opportunities and possibilities are amazing. The arcade sounds great, and the customization looks really cool with your own mini avatar. I think all of that is really fun, and it helps the player be more involved. I think the things they didn't do before, they are doing right now — based on past complaints.
You can find Cuddle_Core on Twitch, X, and the Red Bull Gaming channel. If you missed the Red Bull Pindrop event, you can watch the VODs on Twitch or YouTube.
In addition, there’s a Public Access Day in London that you can participate in. Tekken 8 launches on January 26, 2024, and if our preview is any indicator, it will be a great year for fighting games.
