Master vs. Apprentice Showdown by Pro Players from Kyushu! "Tekken 8" Exhibition Match Held by Chikurin and Keisuke at "National Prefectural eSports Championship 2024 SAGA"!

The "National Prefectural eSports Championship 2024 SAGA," a national esports tournament where prefectural representatives compete, was held over two days, Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15, 2024, at SAGA Arena in Saga Prefecture.
This tournament has been held since 2019, but in 2024, it featured its first-ever exhibition match!
An exhibition match featuring Chikurin and Keisuke, both professional "Tekken 8" license holders, was held.

"Tekken 8" Exhibition Match Held!

The "National Prefectural eSports Championship 2024 SAGA" featured four official competitive titles: "IdentityV," "Puyo Puyo eSports," "Puzzle & Dragons," and "eFootball," but on the first day, "Tekken 8" was held as an exhibition match.

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Chikurin (@chikurintut) and Keisuke (@keisuke__0711) appeared in the exhibition match.
Chikurin is from Nagasaki Prefecture, and Keisuke is from Saga Prefecture, both professional players from Kyushu!

First to 5 Wins! Exhibition Match Begins!

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The exhibition match was won by the player who reached 5 wins first.
The important side selection for the match was decided by choice or rock-paper-scissors in the first game.

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Chikurin chose Lili, and Keisuke chose Kazuya Mishima!

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Keisuke showed an overwhelming offense from the start of the match, taking the first game despite losing one round.
Chikurin, who immediately declared a side change, which can only be done once, before the second game and moved to the right side, gained momentum with Lili and took the second and third games consecutively.

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The match continued with neither player backing down, but Chikurin was the first to reach match point with a score of 4-3.

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In the eighth game, Chikurin was on the verge of victory if he won this match.
Both players had won two rounds and had little health remaining, making it a close battle where either could have won, but Chikurin emerged victorious!

Saiga NAK

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The two have been friends since competing in a team battle held 10 years ago, and they exchanged a passionate handshake after the match.

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Chikurin, the winner, was presented with a three-month supply of "Tekken Original Design Pringles," designed by producer Katsuhiro Harada, to commemorate Tekken's 30th anniversary.

In the ending talk of the exhibition match, both players commented on their aspirations for next year.

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The first half was good, but the second half was quite tough, and I often couldn't make it to the top 8 in international tournaments, so next year I want to acquire stable strength, train my mentality, and strive to always be at the forefront of the top.

(Translated from Japanese)

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I traveled the world this year, but I only managed to get second place in major tournaments, so I've become like a silver collector. Next year, I definitely want to show everyone that I can win a major tournament.

(Translated from Japanese)

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The exhibition match between professional players Chikurin and Keisuke was a heated one, wasn't it?
The exhibition match that was held this time is available on tekkenchannel, so if you missed it, be sure to check it out!