T8
MK1
SF6
GBVSR
Project L
SSBU
T7
DBFZ
BH
GGST
SC6
SG2E
KI
MVS
KoFXV
MBTL
SF5
MK11
Tekken 8’s first Evo was loaded with lots of expectations. The big balance patch was some time ago, and people settled on their character choices. We had a record number of signups for a Tekken event, and the hype was palpable. Lots of incredibly good players exited the tournament in the early stages because of the sheer level of competition, and we arrived to the top 6 with two clear favorites to win – ATIF, and… Arslan Ash.
Both of them dispatched their opponents, Keisuke and Raef, with ease, and met in the winners final. If you have never seen a match of competitive Tekken, this should be the one. One of the best displays of pure skill. Arslan winning 3:1 downplays just how close the entire thing was.
ATIF then had to go through NOBI to make it back to the grand final, and go through he did – literally. 9 straight round wins, no chance for the Japanese veteran.
Grand final between Arslan and ATIF was much more tense than the more free-flowing winners final, and when it became apparent that Arslan has ATIF’s Dragunov figured out, the latter switched to Feng and immediately took one game. However, his opponent was Arslan Ash, and he is inevitable. After a quick back and forth, he defeated his compatriot and became the five-time Evo champion!
