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All you need to do today is get to know Tekken titan Arslan Ash
Meet Arslan Ash, a star of the Tekken world, and discover the fascinating story of how became one of the most feared players on the international scene.
Arslan Siddique, better known as Arslan Ash, is not your typical esports athlete. At 25 years old he has a long history with video games, getting his start in his youth playing in an arcade and quickly becoming a great fighting game player, making a name for himself in his home nation of Pakistan in his early teens. It’s a similar story to many of the biggest stars in esports, especially those with such natural talent. But it’s in his more senior years where his story differs.
Whereas most young stars will start to make a name for themselves on the international scene as they head towards their late teens, Arslan Ash was still competing in Pakistan, dominating the competition. A lack of funds and difficulty raising international awareness of his unbelievable skill in games such as Tekken made it impossible for him to play against the best in the world.
But then he managed to raise enough money to take a trip to KOF GCC 2018 in Oman. To many, he entered as an unknown, but by the end of the event, he was the talk of the entire fighting game scene, taking an easy win in the Tekken 7 competition and top four in the King of Fighters XIV tournament. From then on he quickly rose to the top of the worldwide scene, with a story that's almost unbelievable but is now told in Esports Unfold.
Watch the video at the top of the page to see how Arslan Ash went from the arcades of Pakistan to becoming a Tekken World Champion.
Arslan Ash is a master of Tekken
© Studio Rokhan/Red Bull Content Pool
Early beginnings
Arslan Ash delves back into his early years in Esports Unfold, recounting his time spent in the local arcade where he developed his skills and started to get some local fame for his ability. For him, it was the place where he wanted to spend every minute of every day. Sometimes his body would even try to convince him to play more.
“We had a gaming arcade outside our house,” says Arslan Ash. “I even sleepwalked there at night sometimes.” It was this dedication to gaming that eventually saw him achieve a hugely successful career at the top.
Arslan Ash is supporting his local scene
© Studio Rokhan/Red Bull Content Pool
Life at the top
Arslan Ash always had the raw skill to compete with the best in the world, but now that he regularly competes against players that push him to the limits, he's had to think more about the mental side of his game, too. He prepares for opponents and tournaments in a mental capacity, as well as honing his skills in the game.
“I always think and play through my opponent's approach,” he says. “I try not to make any mistakes in the game or tournament for which I have practised for hours and months. I bring out my most experienced character so that I have as much control over the situation as possible and so that I don't fall under pressure.”
As he continues his career at the top of the Tekken scene this style of preparation will no doubt continue to pay off. Having a good read on your opponent and being mentally prepared is just as important as having the mechanical skill mastered when it comes to the very top level of play. And he can only improve in these areas.
Supporting his peers
What becomes clear is that Arslan Ash is just as focused on supporting those around him and the general esports scene. Once the pandemic hit, the Pakistani Tekken community was at a disadvantage in online competitions due to poor connectivity. So he built a lockdown bootcamp for local players to compete with each other and keep their skills sharp.
“I had the idea of renting a place where players could come to practise and they could stay there as well,” he explains. “The idea of this bootcamp was to train and enhance our skills.”
The bootcamp allowed his fellow players to keep their skills sharp and meant they could rapidly improve with so much time to play against the best players in the region. As a result, Pakistan now have numerous top Tekken players and the future looks bright not only for Arslan Ash, but the entire Pakistani fighting game scene.
