The Heat System is a new mechanic in the Tekken series, and represents Tekken 8's more aggressive playstyle. It's a powered-up mode that you can only use once per round.

There are many advantages to being in Heat, such as inflicting chip damage while your opponent is blocking, extending combos with Heat Dashes, unlocking specific move properties for different characters, and creating the opportunity for a Heat Smash, a powerful ender that will make you automatically exit Heat Mode. You start with a full Heat meter every round, and can enter Heat in one of two ways: a Heat Burst, or a Heat Engager.

Heat Burst (2+3 simultaneously)

You can perform a Heat Burst anytime during the round when you don't already have Heat activated. When activating a Heat Burst, the camera will zoom in on your character and you'll perform an attack. Whether the attack connects or is blocked, you will enter Heat Mode, and have a slight frame advantage. You can also just activate Heat Mode without the follow-up attack by pressing Back twice after activation. Heat Burst is bound to R1 or the Right Bumper by default if you find pressing 2 and 3 at the same time difficult.

Heat Engager

Heat Engagers are different for every character. They are specific moves that will activate Heat Mode when you land them. Upon landing a Heat Engager, your enemy will be knocked away and you will automatically run towards them, putting you in Frame Advantage. This is your opportunity to make them guess whether you will use a High, Mid, or Low attack, or a throw. If you want to get really tricky, you can even just block and wait for them to over-extend while trying to stop your pressure! Here's an example of some of Kazuya's Heat Engagers. The blue symbol on the right with the figure in flames denotes a Heat Engager in the move list.

After Entering Heat Mode

After Heat has been activated, your offense will be much more threatening, and all of your attacks will start doing chip damage (damage your opponent takes while blocking). This chip damage will be recoverable until you hit the opponent with certain attacks, but it's a great way to make your opponent feel the pressure to not block forever.

Heat Dash

If you perform a Heat Engager while already in Heat Mode, you can perform a Heat Dash by holding forward. A Heat Dash will keep you in your opponent's face, and can be used as a way to extend pressure if they're blocking, or to continue combos if the Heat Engager landed to increase damage and wall carry. When first revealed, you could do up to two Heat Dashes during one Heat Mode activation, but it has since been balanced to only allow one Heat Dash per Heat Mode activation. Once you perform a Heat Dash, Heat Mode will end.

Heat Smash

Heat Smashes are powerful attacks you can perform in Heat Mode with the same input you used for Heat Burst (2+3 or R1 on PlayStation or Right Bumper on Xbox). Heat Smashes can be a great way to inflict damage with a character you're still learning as performing any launcher into Heat Burst and then Heat Smash will always combo.

Like Heat Dashes, Heat Smashes will immediately end Heat Mode, so it may be best to wait until your Heat Meter is almost completely out before performing them, so you can use the benefits of Heat Mode to their fullest before it ends.