Evo Japan Tekken 8 Champion iKARi Joins Kiwoom DRX

Evo Japan 2026 Tekken 8 champion iKARi has joined Kiwoom DRX and will represent them for the foreseeable future.

The Korean, who resides in Japan, broke into the scene in 2024 with Tekken 8 and has since been posting impressive results. None, however, compare to his Evo Japan win, where he stood in the way of one of the greatest Tekken players ever in Knee and ensured the legend did not get a fifth Evo title while claiming his first.

iKARi's reaction to his victory, a stunned look followed by profuse bowing to his opponent Knee, remains one of the defining moments of the tournament. It is quite fitting, then, that he now joins the team that is home to the very man he defeated to win Evo Japan. What was a moment of triumph for one and defeat for the other has become the foundation of a shared chapter.

iKARi is a Kazuya main, which made his victory even more impressive. Kazuya is not exactly a character one would expect to see winning at the highest level, but iKARi has put him firmly on the map and proven once again that low-tier characters can claim the highest honours when they are in the right hands.

iKARi heads into the rest of the season with considerable momentum. He is already qualified for both the Esports World Cup and the Tekken World Tour finals, two of the most prestigious destinations the competitive calendar has to offer. For a player who only broke through two years ago, the trajectory is remarkable, and there is every reason to believe the best is still to come.