Gaming
Esports
Arslan Ash: Your New 4-Time Undisputed EVO Champion!
Doing the unthinkable has become second nature to Arslan Ash at this point. And yet he shocks the system once again after winning the EVO USA 2023, making it a record four EVO wins.
“I still can’t believe that I did it,” says Arslan Ash about winning the latest EVO USA last weekend.
And even though making history has become a weekly errand for Arslan Ash, winning the EVO for a record fourth time would unsurprisingly be a surprise for anyone. For Ash, this EVO victory is bigger than that.
“I always wanted to do something that nobody has done,” he says.
“That’s what motivates me. You always need some kind of motivation. And I had it and I worked really hard for this. I’m so glad that I have made history.”
Arslan Ash faced an intense competition in the top six with Japan’s AO, South Korea’s ULSAN and Meo-Il, and Genghis D0n and Anakin from the USA. The grand finale of EVO USA 2023 came down to Ash versus AO where the former made quick work of the latter and got his hand raised in victory. The victory also resulted in Ash gaining 1710 points for TWT.
Most Pakistani players are poor; I used to be one of them,” he says. “So, when we play, we play to win. If not, we lose coin.
With Arslan Ash now having four historic EVO (two Japan and two USA) wins, he has climbed the ladder higher than ever before. And he seems to be quite comfortable at the top.
Regarding his EVO journey this year, he says, “I have faced many opponents and obstacles over the years. This time, there wasn’t much of a challenge. Everyone knows my first EVO Japan story. That was the hardest challenge for me. Since then, life has thankfully been a smooth sailing for me.”
Arslan Ash notes that EVO Japan is usually more difficult than EVO USA because “Korea and Japan are two of the top regions in the world when it comes to Tekken. And Korea is close to Japan, so more Koreans come to compete there and not to USA. So, EVO Japan is always extremely tough. But on the other hand, EVO USA is bigger in terms of scale and every other aspect. So, there’s definitely a difference.”
However, Arslan’s comfort at the top goes parallel to his humility and his experience of scratching and clawing to get there. Talking about his own hunger to achieve greatness and generally about Pakistani players and the secret of their success in international platforms, Aralan Ash refers to their limited resources and the life growing up.
Arslan Ash lifts the trophy at EVO US 2023
© Arslan Ash
“Most Pakistani players are poor; I used to be one of them,” he says. “So, when we play, we play to win. Otherwise, we will lose money and won’t be able to get more coin and play again. That motivation of playing to win isn’t that strong in international players because they have resources. They can afford to lose. But we can’t because we are hungry and have to prove ourselves.”
He emphasizes that he faced the same conditions when he was younger. “I used to think if I lost, I won’t have money to play again. So, the passion that we have, the fact that failure is not an option, is what drives us.”
When it comes to gameplay, Arslan Ash reflects on the one element that differentiates players like him and others. “The main difference between our mindset and style is that we like to take more risks. International players don’t do it that much. They play it safe. I believe in taking calculated risks when you have a higher health. We try to be unpredictable and try risky techniques.”
The risk-taking and ‘play to win’ attitude has surely paid off for Arslan Ash, who totally needs a new shelf to put his numerous trophies. The undisputed Tekken champion realizes the importance of winning prestigious international competitions like EVO, not only for himself but also for the whole Pakistani Tekken and esports community.
“It’s the fact that before I won the first EVO, Pakistan wasn’t on the Tekken world map. Now people across the globe consider Pakistan to be the best region when it comes to Tekken. It’s all about racking up wins. We won EVO, then Tekken World Tour (TWT), and so on. We need to keep doing that, so we can get more opportunities, more funding, and people will want to come to Pakistan.”
The Lahore-based e-athlete recognizes the importance of a great gaming community that he’s a part of that led him to his success. “I am strong and that’s why my community is strong. And I am strong because my community is strong. We feed off each other and make each other better. We help each other upgrade and improve.”
To conclude, Arslan Ash observes that Pakistan’s future in Tekken is fantastic. “We have been burning it down on the international stage. We were already doing it when we had no resources. Now we have more resources and we can train better and we are going to keep killing it.”
For Arslan Ash, looking back, sleepwalking to the nearest arcade at the age of four was definitely the right choice. With a fourth EVO (second EVO USA) win under his belt, Ash has probably earned a good night’s sleep… until it’s time to train again.
