Arslan Ash was crowned champion of the "Tekken 8" division at "EVO 2024," the world's largest fighting game tournament held from Saturday, July 20 to Monday, July 22, 2024!
Tekken 8 Division Gathers Attention
The latest installment, "Tekken 8," was released in January 2024, and the world champion was decided at the game's first EVO!
The six players who remained in the Top 6 were as follows:
- KEISUKE from ZETA
- ATIF from Falcons
- Arslan Ash from TM | RB
- Raef from Dragons
- NOBI from TeamYAMASA |
- ULSAN from KDF |
They were six powerhouses from Japan, Korea, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
Arslan Ash, in particular, is a world-renowned powerhouse.
At the venue, Fukushi and Youjin Boy (@youjin_boy) provided live Japanese commentary.
In the first match, Japan's KEISUKE was up!
However, ATIF from Pakistan advanced in the winners bracket with a dominant victory, not giving up a single round.
Next up was Arslan Ash, the top contender for the championship!
Saiga NAKThe venue was filled with loud cheers to support Arslan Ash.
He showed incredible composure and also won without dropping a single round!
KEISUKE reappeared on the losers' side.
He had a close match, a full set with a full round, against ULSAN, the only Korean player in the Top 6.
However, in the end, ULSAN's Dragunov connected and dominated!
KEISUKE was eliminated here.
NOBI, who advanced to the Top 6 from the losers' side, appeared!
He was up against Raef from Saudi Arabia.
Raef is truly the strongest in Saudi Arabia, but NOBI dominated the match with an aggressive style that actively used the Heat Gauge!
NOBI advanced to the losers' semifinal with a 2-0 victory.
During the match's interval, merchandise was tossed out.
#EVO2024 インターバルにグッズあげちゃう！ pic.twitter.com/7clZzzpoME
— Saiga NAK (@saiganak) July 21, 2024
The winners' final was a showdown between the Pakistanis.
The battle between the two created a level of excitement on par with the grand final.
Arslan Ash won the match against ATIF with a score of 3-1!
He was the first to secure a spot in the grand final.
NOBI was up for the losers' semifinal.
He defeated ULSAN, who had won against KEISUKE, with a score of 2-0, successfully getting revenge for the Japanese players!
And then, the losers' final!
ATIF from Pakistan and NOBI from Japan battled for a spot in the grand final.
NOBI had advanced to the Top 6 without losing a single set.
However, his opponent was a fierce Pakistani player who had won "TEKKEN World Tour 2022" and "CEO 202."
ATIF, who won three consecutive sets, advanced to the grand final!
The grand final was yet another showdown between these two.
Saiga NAKThe dominance of the Pakistani players was undeniable.
The two players had a tense back-and-forth, a stark contrast to their previous dominant matches, and Arslan Ash won the championship with a score of 3-2.
Saiga NAKArslan Ash responds to the cheers.
Saiga NAKThe final results are as follows:
- 1st place: Arslan Ash
- 2nd place: ATIF
- 3rd place: NOBI
- 4th place: ULSAN
- 5th place: KEISUKE
- 6th place: Raef
Arslan Ash's name will forever be etched in the history of "Tekken 8"'s first EVO.
Interview with Arslan Ash
Saiga NAKNOTE 1: This is a joint media interview and includes questions from media other than SaigaNAK's editorial department.
NOTE 2: The following blockquotes are translated from Japanese.
Q. You have won your fifth EVO title. What is the secret to your success?
I don't know, but I always pray to Allah before a match. I think that's my biggest motivation and the reason for my success.
Saiga NAKQ. You're widely known as the strongest Tekken player. Can you tell us about your future plans for "Tekken 8" or any other game titles you are considering?
"Tekken 8" is very difficult, and I think this is my biggest victory so far. My play was a bit rough at first, but now I can proudly say that I've reached the top.
My only plan is to continue playing "Tekken 8."
Q. In the fourth set, ATIF chose Feng. It seemed to cause some confusion for you.
I didn't expect him to choose Feng. We used to be training partners and always played against each other, but I had never fought against his Feng. I don't know if he was intentionally hiding Feng, but it might have been fortunate for me.
Saiga NAKQ. What do you think is the reason for your strength? How do you practice?
I don't know. I just have a passion for the game and a passion for winning. As a child, I was used to getting first place in my class, and I would get very angry if I got second or third place. I play fighting games with that same passion, and I just push forward toward victory.
Q. It's been half a year of adapting from "Tekken 7" to "Tekken 8." Have there been any changes in your training?
I think it's all about mindset. When I look at other pro players, it feels like they lose because they can't adapt to the meta.
It's also a matter of ego, I guess. I think you need to suppress your ego and learn from scratch.
Saiga NAK※Right after the main "Tekken 8" tournament ended, it was announced that EVO 2025 will be held in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Las Vegas, and Nice, with Singapore to be added in 2026.
Q. As a five-time EVO champion, what are your thoughts on EVO being held in new locations?
To be honest... I don't like it much. When the number increases, I feel like the prestige of the EVO title will be lost. Of course, I think it's a good thing for people who live in Europe, Japan, and Singapore. But winning EVO is a great honor, and if the number of champions increases, it becomes unclear who the real EVO champion is in the end. I'm a little confused right now.
