Islamabad: Pakistani gamer Arslan Siddique, known as ‘Arslan Ash’ in the gaming community, won the global Tekken 7 competition at the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) Japan 2023, taking home his third EVO title.
The 26-year-old gamer from Lahore expressed his gratitude, saying that “EVO Japan is where it all began for me, and winning it again is a special feeling. These are the moments I dreamt of as a kid. Thank you for letting me live my dream.”
In the final, Arslan Ash defeated South Korea’s top player MEO-IL, showcasing his exceptional skills with Zafina as his fighter of choice. His impressive victory earned him $7,535 and 400 Tekken points, cementing his position as one of the best players in the competitive world of Tekken 7.
The EVO 2023 championship, held in Tokyo, is the world’s biggest and most prestigious fighting game tournament series. Over 5,000 players from 82 countries participated in the event held from March 31 to April 2. The competition featured top games like Street Fighter V and Tekken 7, alongside smaller fan favourites such as Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown. With over 12 games scheduled, each game had a minimum prize pool of 2 million yen (roughly US$15,000) to reward participants for their talent and dedication.
Proud moment for Pakistani gaming community
In 2019, Arslan Ash made a significant breakthrough by winning both EVO Japan and EVO Vegas. Since then, he has achieved impressive victories in competitions locally and internationally including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand, Japan, and the US. His latest triumph marks his third EVO title, a remarkable feat.
Arslan Ash’s success is a source of great pride for Pakistan’s gaming community, which is increasingly making its mark on the global e-sports stage. Pakistan, a country known for its cricket stars, is now emerging as a major contender in the fighting games arena, which has traditionally been dominated by players from Japan, South Korea, China, and the United States.
In February, another talented Pakistani gamer, Atif Butt, won the Tekken World Tour (TWT) tournament in Amsterdam, earning the ‘King of the Iron Fist’ award. Butt, who is also a member of the team founded by Arslan Ash, congratulated his colleague on his achievement saying he made the country and Pakistan’s fight games community proud. “He is Pakistan’s number 1 player for us” he added.
