Tekken World Tour (TWT) has officially kicked off with an exciting start at EVO Japan 2023, where Arslan Ash of Pakistan won Tekken 7, making him a two-time Evo Japan champion. Arslan, who also won the championship back in 2019, used Zafina as his character of choice and took down Meo-IL of South Korea, who used Geese Howard, in the grand finals. Rangchu of South Korea and Watanabe of Japan took third and fourth place, respectively.
Despite being expected to do well, several players faltered and did not even make it to the Top 8. Newly crowned Tekken World Tour 2022 Champion Atif Butt (Pakistan) lost to LowHigh (S. Korea) and SAINT (S. Korea) and failed to make it to the Top 8. Knee of South Korea, who recently won Evo Vegas 2022, also did not make the cut, along with Ulsan also of South Korea, Anakin, Joey Fury and Jimmy J Tran of the USA, Chikurin of Japan, AK and Doujin of the Philippines, Book of Thailand, and others.
Interestingly, no North American players made it to the Top 24, including Anakin and Joey Fury, who were considered heavy contenders. Only two European players made it to the Top 24, which were Sephiblack of Germany and Kirakira of Switzerland. The Top 24 was primarily made up of players from South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Europe and Pakistan.
Tekken 7 Final Results
The prizes for the tournament were impressive, with 1st place winning ¥1,000,000 (equivalent to approximately $7,535.88 USD) and 400 TWT points. 2nd place won ¥400,000 (equivalent to approximately $3,014.35 USD) and 300 TWT points, 3rd place won ¥200,000 (equivalent to approximately $1,507.18 USD) and 220 TWT points, and 4th place won ¥120,000 (equivalent to approximately $904.31 USD) and 150 TWT points. These points are earned towards the Tekken World Tour 2023.
The full standings and bracket for the EVO Japan 2023 Tekken 7 tournament can be viewed on the official start.gg website. The breakdown includes all the matches played and how each player performed throughout the tournament.
As seen from the standings, Asia and Pakistan appear to be the strongest regions at the moment, with Europe not too far behind. However, South Korea and Japan still maintain an edge with a heavy showing in the Top 8. This correlation is not surprising, as South Korea and Japan have historically been known for their strong presence in the fighting game community, including Tekken. Nevertheless, the rise of players from Pakistan and other regions shows the growth and diversity of the Tekken community. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out in future tournaments and whether other regions will continue to make a name for themselves.
Tekken 8 Reveals
After the Tekken 7 finals, Tekken producers Katsuhiro Harada and Michael Murray shared exciting news. They announced two new characters, Leroy Smith and Asuka Kazama, who will be joining the Tekken 8 roster, and showcased gameplay trailers for both. Harada and Murray also revealed more information about the Tekken World Tour, including details about upcoming Major and Challenger events, Close Alpha Tests, and more.
With the Tekken World Tour 2023 in full swing, there are more exciting tournaments and matches to look forward to. Congratulations to Arslan Ash and all the players who participated in EVO Japan 2023!
