Pakistani gamer Arslan “Ash” Siddiqui has once again put Pakistan on the global gaming map by winning the Tekken 7 competition at EVO Japan 2023. The tournament was held from March 31 to April 2, and had over 5,000 attendees. Arslan, who is based in Lahore, won the tournament by defeating South Korea’s Meo-IL in the grand final.
Arslan, who played as Zafina, dominated Meo-IL, who was using Geese Howard, 3-0 in the final leg. This is Arslan’s third EVO title in Tekken 7, with his previous wins coming in EVO Japan and EVO Championship in 2019. He finished third in the EVO 2022 Tekken 7 competition in August last year.
The top three winners, including third-placed Rangchu from South Korea, were later awarded cash and additional prizes by Tekken series game director and chief producer Katsuhiro Harada. The breakdown of prize money in each game was listed on the tournament website, with the first prize being ¥1,000,000 (Est. $7529.90 USD).
EVO is considered to be the world’s biggest fighting game tournament with a long history where fighting game players from around the world gather in Las Vegas to compete against each other. EVO Japan is another world championship in the same spirit of the main EVO tournament.
Arslan tweeted yesterday that EVO Japan is “the hardest tournament ever.” It is a testament to his dedication and skills that he was able to win the tournament against such tough competition.
In February, another Pakistani gamer, Atif Butt, emerged as the new “King of the Iron Fist” after winning the Tekken World Tour 2022 videogame tournament in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Butt was a member of the team founded by Arslan himself.
Arslan’s win is a source of pride for Pakistan, and is a reminder that Pakistani gamers are making their mark on the global gaming scene. With more and more gamers taking up the hobby in Pakistan, it is hoped that the country will produce more world-class gamers in the future.
