Arsalan Ash The World Tekken Champion
Arslan Siddique, better known as Arslan Ash, is a Pakistani professional esports player. He is a five-time EVO champion, having emerged victorious in EVO Las Vegas 2019, 2023, 2024 as well as EVO Japan 2019 and 2023. He also won the Tekken World Tour Finals 2023.
Arslan Siddique, better known as Arslan Ash, is a Pakistani professional esports player. He is a five-time EVO champion, having emerged victorious in EVO Las Vegas 2019, 2023, 2024 as well as EVO Japan 2019 and 2023. He also won the Tekken World Tour Finals 2023.
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00:00They were allowed to kind of practice in secret.
00:07You are a product of your scene.
00:09You can't just have one really good player and everyone else in your area is just really bad.
00:13Nobody knew just how good Paxton was.
00:16Arslan Ash shows up at EVO and he wins.
00:17And then he's like, you guys haven't seen all the people I play with back home.
00:21All the Japanese players are like, what the hell?
00:23They started flying to Pakistan to practice and they're getting destroyed by them.
00:27Being EVO champion is no small thing.
00:30When I came back home, every child in my city knows me.
00:33This is Arslan.
00:34Fight.
00:35Oh, he's got it! It's over!
00:37Arslan's gonna get the tournament!
00:39Arslan, he's your EVO Japan champion!
00:42The time, look at the time!
00:44Oh, he got a follow-up!
00:45Unbelievable, the lead!
00:47Oh, he got the lead!
00:48Oh, Arslan Ash!
00:53Oh, the trade blows!
00:55Oh, oh man!
00:58That was a crazy trade.
01:00Arslan, cementing his position as the best Tekken player on the planet.
01:08Untouchable.
01:14Pakistan is not a country where most people are privileged enough
01:18to dedicate their lives to something as frivolous as competitive video games.
01:21It's a country locked in a tense nuclear standoff with its neighbor.
01:26It's a country where most people live on less than $2 a day.
01:29It's a country that's difficult to travel to and even more difficult to leave.
01:34Which means that its once-secret Tekken scene basically developed in a total vacuum.
01:39I just feel like in terms of exposure, they completely slipped under the radar.
01:44And it's the reason we didn't know about them.
01:47But this also means that they were allowed to kind of practice in secret.
01:51You know, kind of come in with a style that surprised everyone.
01:55Just no one was aware, you know?
01:57Traditionally, Tekken has been dominated by Korean and Japanese players,
02:01with only a handful of American and European players rising up to challenge them.
02:05But that's only happened because players from those regions
02:08could easily travel to compete amongst the game's best.
02:11Pakistan's Tekken players didn't have that luxury.
02:14They really left the country to practice,
02:16leaving the scene without many opportunities to train against the world's best players.
02:20And because they didn't travel, no one knew about them.
02:23For years, the secrets of the Pakistani Tekken scene were passed around as rumors.
02:29But most people just thought they were the empty boasts of proud expats.
02:32At UCLA Law School, there were a lot of foreign students,
02:35and one of them was a law student from Pakistan.
02:37He would always tell me, like,
02:39look, these players seem good, but you gotta see our players in Pakistan.
02:42And I always said, like, yeah, cool, man, alright, yeah.
02:46But in my brain, I'm like, alright, buddy.
02:51And he was absolutely right in retrospect.
02:55Arslan, Arslan Ash Siddiq, showed up and won OUG 2018.
03:00But he didn't just win.
03:01In the Grand Finals, he defeated Bae Ni-Jae Min,
03:05better known as the God of Tekken.
03:07Before that moment, almost no one outside of Pakistan had heard of Arslan Ash.
03:12But they were about to.
03:16Arslan Ash started his career playing King of Fighters
03:20before making the move to Tekken.
03:22He rose through Pakistan's Tekken ranks pretty quickly,
03:25facing incredible talent the rest of the world
03:27had quite literally never seen, let alone heard of.
03:31A dude who came in Tekken 6 to the UK, his name's Asim.
03:34And when he came down, we were very surprised in the UK scene.
03:38We thought we were really good.
03:39And this dude from Pakistan came and just destroyed everyone.
03:41And we're like, what the hell?
03:42You know, in order for someone to be as good as he is and he was,
03:47it means that your scene and your local scene must be really good as well.
03:52You are a product of your scene.
03:54For him to say that someone is really good and I'm not even the best in Pakistan,
03:58there are people who are way better than me.
04:00Yeah, I definitely believed him.
04:01And then, when he could finally leave the country
04:03to face off against the talent the world did know,
04:06he showed them a style of Tekken they didn't even know existed.
04:10Arslan Ash arrived at EVO Japan after a hellish travel experience.
04:14He arrived at the venue minutes before pool started.
04:17I said to my sponsor that I am leaving home.
04:20Just book me a ticket from here to Lahore.
04:23Because there was only four hours left for the tournament.
04:26And I went to the counter and he said,
04:28and I said, there's a flight from here to Fukuoka in about one hour.
04:33So I told my sponsor, he booked me that flight.
04:36And for that flight, when I went to Fukuoka finally,
04:39there was no money, I had no money to grab a taxi.
04:43I have money, the money was in Pakistani rupees, not in Japanese yen.
04:48Against all odds, Arslan made quick work out of some of Tekken's best.
04:52But because he was relatively unknown,
04:55most of his matches were played off stream.
04:57And by the time they broadcasted his matches,
04:59he'd already beaten the likes of Knee, Chanel, and Riksta.
05:03But his first game on stream then came against the defending EVO champion, LoHai.
05:08Like I said before, stuff that you will never see.
05:10It's Arslan versus LoHai.
05:12You guys asked for him to come to the stream.
05:14Here we go.
05:16But look at him, caught him.
05:17LoHai went for that risky parry.
05:21Oh, this round.
05:22Oh my god, the mix-ups.
05:23Look at him, he's so confident.
05:25First game to Arslan over the EVO champ.
05:28LoHai still in it.
05:29What's he gonna do? The throw is teched.
05:33LoHai trying to stay alive.
05:34Tournament life on the line here.
05:35LoHai at the end of his rope.
05:371-1-2 with the whip punish on the throw.
05:39Arslan eliminates LoHai.
05:41Arslan's reign of terror continued as he took down Book, Jimmy J Tran, Chikurin, and CherryBerryMango
05:48before facing AK in the Grand Finals.
05:53Oh, the back-swing.
05:56Arslan has been man-on-fire.
05:59Three rounds straight.
06:01AK's in trouble, I'm calling it right now.
06:03Dude, is this four rounds straight?
06:04Oh, things are working out.
06:06And the wall's flat at this time.
06:07You can't hopkick this man.
06:08The punish is too big.
06:11Lookie here, man. Arslan Ashe is up now five rounds straight here in this matchup against AK.
06:17He's defeating the head. He's defeating behind.
06:19Oh, he's got it. It's over.
06:20Arslan's gonna get the tournament.
06:22Arslan, he's your EVO Japan champion.
06:26Arslan's victory at EVO Japan was an incredible moment that put Pakistan on the map.
06:31And yet, there were still some out there who doubted his win.
06:35They didn't think it was a fluke,
06:37but they believed that Arslan's Pakistani style of Tekken
06:40would soon be figured out by the Korean gods.
06:43When I played with Arslan,
06:45I felt like my Tekken skills had improved.
06:49Because a lot of Koreans said,
06:52when I played with Arslan in Japan last time,
06:56I think my Tekken skills have improved.
06:59I'm actually thankful to Arslan.
07:03And for Pakistan...
07:06And as part of that process,
07:07Knee declared he wanted to train in Pakistan.
07:10A lot of people didn't believe that Knee was serious.
07:13And then, you know, someone replied to me saying,
07:15are you serious?
07:16And then Chanel replied saying,
07:18does it look like he's joking?
07:19And I spoke to him and he was actually saying to me,
07:21yo Spag, I want to go to Pakistan.
07:22Where should I go?
07:23Where are all the players?
07:24Which city?
07:25Knee is a Tekken legend.
07:27In fact, his nickname is literally the God of Tekken.
07:31With a tournament record spanning over a decade of competitive play,
07:34he's won countless championships,
07:36played dozens of characters,
07:38and his legacy is untouchable.
07:40He was also the defending EVO Japan champion,
07:43and being knocked out off stream
07:45by a guy no one had ever heard of before
07:48made him hungry,
07:49but not for revenge,
07:51for self-improvement.
07:53The Pakistani scene was saying that it's a big honor,
07:55because at the end of the day,
07:56he's a legend,
07:57probably the greatest of all time.
07:58And, you know, to have him say,
08:00hey, I want to go to Pakistan to learn
08:02how to be better in Tekken,
08:03I mean, what better compliment, man?
08:05Unfortunately, something got in Knee's way.
08:08Unfortunately, there was a little bit of conflict between India and Pakistan,
08:11so it was advised by foreign governments to say,
08:16hey, maybe you shouldn't go to Pakistan right now, it's quite dangerous.
08:19But when Arslan went back to Japan
08:20after the Japanese Tekken scene challenged him to a series of first-to-tens,
08:24Knee packed his bags and hopped on a plane to Osaka.
08:27Arslan took down every single Japanese player he played,
08:31but Knee proved tougher.
08:34Knee and Arslan played three first-to-tens
08:37for a total of 47 games.
08:40In the end, while Knee won the series 2-to-1,
08:45Arslan won more individual games, 24 to Knee's 23.
08:50Neither could lay claim to being better than the other,
08:54but Knee was able to win the series 4-to-1,
08:57and he was able to win the series 5-to-1.
09:01Knee was able to win the series 5-to-1,
09:04and he was able to win the series 5-to-1.
09:30After EVO Japan, Arslan and Knee met again in Thailand.
09:34At first, it seemed like their match-up was faded,
09:37with both coming into the top 8 from the winner's bracket.
09:40But while Arslan defeated his first-round opponent 2-to-1,
09:44Knee fell to his, losing 2-to-0.
09:47But Knee wanted a rematch with his newfound rival.
09:51He tore through the loser's bracket, beating no one,
09:56He tore through the loser's bracket, beating no one,
09:59before earning another showdown with Arslan.
10:26Arslan had once again beaten Knee in an official tournament match,
10:30but this time, it was on stream,
10:33and the entire Tekken world saw him do it.
10:37Arslan had defeated his rival yet again,
10:40but there was still one last crown left to earn.
10:44One last kingdom left to conquer.
10:48The next month, Arslan finally made it to the finals,
10:52and he was able to win the series 5-to-1.
10:55Knee was able to win the series 5-to-1,
10:58and he was able to win the series 5-to-1.
11:01Knee was able to win the series 5-to-1,
11:04The next month, Arslan finally managed to make it to the U.S. for the first time,
11:09but he only did that with the help of the community.
11:12Getting to Japan at the beginning of the year required a complicated visa process,
11:17but the U.S. was another thing entirely.
11:20Luckily, the community rallied behind him.
11:23eFightPass, a program designed to raise money for
11:26and assist with visa applications for foreign players looking to get to the U.S.,
11:31got him a visa.
11:32Through the community's efforts, Arslan made it over to North America for the very first time,
11:37for EVO, the biggest fighting game tournament in the world.
11:41A year ago, Arslan showing up at EVO and trying to win
11:45would have seemed laughable to anyone who didn't know his story.
11:49But, before Arslan could prove himself at EVO,
11:52there was another challenge to overcome.
11:56At the world showdown of esports Tekken Invitational,
11:59Arslan was forced to forfeit his first match to Anakin
12:02due to travel delays putting him in the loser's bracket.
12:05He made it to the venue in time for his first loser's bracket match,
12:09one that many assumed he'd win.
12:11But Arslan had to play Jimmy J. Tran,
12:14one of North America's best Tekken players,
12:17and he was not about to let Arslan take over his turf without a fight.
12:30I can't believe he's hitting so many buttons here!
12:33I can't believe this match is still going on!
12:35Jimmy J. Tran!
12:37Oh my god!
12:38Oh, the block!
12:39This is a small button!
12:40Oh, he dropped it!
12:42Oh, 10 seconds left on the clock!
12:45What's about to happen?
12:46Just wait! Just wait!
12:47Oh my god!
12:49Oh, the button!
12:50The button breaks!
12:51Oh, the block and the button!
12:53Jimmy J. Tran with 2 seconds left on the clock!
12:56The composure!
12:57Final round!
12:58Jimmy J. Tran!
12:59Arslan Ashe!
13:00Loser bracket action!
13:01Someone's going home!
13:02Oh my god!
13:03Oh, again!
13:04The levels are rising!
13:05The low!
13:06Arslan's got a huge lead!
13:07Double headshot!
13:08Do it again!
13:09Oh, the mid!
13:10Oh, Lifebar's about even now!
13:12Oh, the north across!
13:14Jimmy J. Tran!
13:15Oh my god!
13:16Arslan Ashe!
13:17What a set!
13:18I'm not drinking no bathwater!
13:20Let's go, Jimmy!
13:21Arslan's loss created some doubt in the community.
13:25Maybe America's style of Tekken was the answer to Arslan's defense.
13:30Maybe the Pakistani style was just part of a wider international rock-paper-scissors.
13:35Maybe Arslan and Ni's showdown wasn't destiny after all.
13:40Arslan's run through the first few chunks of EVO's massive bracket were uneventful.
13:45Swift often unstreamed wins over unknown EVO hopefuls.
13:50Then, he blew through Gen, Team Liquid's prodigal Tekken talent, and Cuddlecore, one
13:56of NA's most beloved players.
13:59After that, he was just two wins away from the top eight.
14:03First came Shadow.
14:05This is a tough spot for Shadow right now.
14:07In the corner!
14:08This is looking not good.
14:09Rage expended.
14:10He used it to get out, but he can't take a single hit anymore.
14:13Using these throws are some breaking knives.
14:16Dash up, back three.
14:17So solid from Arslan.
14:20Then, Neroma, one of Japan's best players.
14:24Neroma didn't expect that at all.
14:25That's why he ducked and just didn't do anything.
14:28Flash duck there.
14:29Pumping a low parry.
14:30Instant air fireball.
14:31Just moved out of the way.
14:32Final poke for Neroma!
14:34Oh, he went for a mix-up!
14:36Oh my goodness!
14:39What a block and punish.
14:42Arslan Ashe will be our final top eight competitor in the winner's side.
14:47At this point, all doubt was gone.
14:50His loss to Jimmy J Tran wasn't a fluke.
14:53It was just a learning experience.
14:56By beating Neroma, Arslan qualified for top eight in winner's side.
15:00On Sunday, he would play in front of the world on the biggest stage fighting games have to offer.
15:08But on the other side of the bracket, Knee was on a warpath.
15:11One that ended with his fated showdown against Arslan.
15:15Once again, a chance for each to prove their skills.
15:19Not for the world, but for each other.
15:22But it's very hard to land a counter hit.
15:24Oh wow, what a sidestep.
15:26This is going to hurt.
15:27And he's capitalizing big time.
15:29Wall break.
15:31All the way.
15:32Oh my god, he's the mayor of Corner Town.
15:35And he got it.
15:36Wow, amazing.
15:38Didn't get to use the maximum at all.
15:40But it doesn't matter.
15:41Wow, look at this.
15:42Oh, he just double ducked in his face.
15:44He's got the corner.
15:45Oh my god.
15:46Is that dead?
15:47No.
15:48He missed it.
15:49Oh my god, what's going to happen?
15:50So close.
15:52Wow.
15:53He's almost at the range, dude.
15:54That's all.
15:55Oh my god.
15:56There goes one.
15:57Oh, punish.
15:58He got him.
15:59Huge mistake there.
16:00And it's going to cost him.
16:01It is going to cost him.
16:03Uh oh.
16:04Uh oh, but Arslan Ash fighting back.
16:08Big lead.
16:10That's the block.
16:11That's the block he was looking for.
16:13Arslan takes the lead in the set.
16:15Oh my gosh, this is huge.
16:17Arslan Ash is looking really good because he's getting closer and closer here.
16:21One more mix up to do it.
16:22He gets the mid.
16:23And this is Knee's last opportunity here to break this curse.
16:27The blue stuff is coming any moment now.
16:31Oh man.
16:34There it is.
16:35He blew it.
16:37The time.
16:38Oh, the mix up.
16:40What's he going to do?
16:41There's no time left.
16:42Unbelievable.
16:43The time.
16:44Look at the time.
16:45Oh, he got a follow up.
16:46Unbelievable.
16:47The lead.
16:48Oh, he got the lead.
16:49Oh, Arslan Ash defeating Knee again.
16:56It was a close match, but in the end, Arslan's defense proved too much for Knee.
17:02But Knee ripped through the loser's bracket, bringing down Nobi.
17:06Again.
17:07Oh, man.
17:09Take.
17:10Oh, wow.
17:12And in a nail-bitingly close match, Anakin.
17:15He has just been, he's been holding his head underwater.
17:18All to earn a spot in the Grand Finals.
17:21All to face Arslan Ash one last time.
17:25The two players everyone has been talking about all year long.
17:29It's Knee versus Arslan Ash.
17:31I mean, it's really fitting.
17:33This is the way it was written.
17:351900 players, we're down to two.
17:37Isn't that amazing?
17:38It is.
17:39That these two?
17:40It is crazy.
17:41Isn't that crazy?
17:42Because this is the matchup that a lot of people were calling out to be the Grand Finals.
17:44Yeah, you wouldn't expect it.
17:45Yeah, it's just like written that way in stone.
17:47Destiny was fulfilled.
17:49Arslan against Knee in the Grand Finals.
17:52Korea against Pakistan.
17:54Rival against rival.
17:56And a sidestep from Arslan.
17:59Oh, he's keeping him on the ground.
18:01Look at this.
18:02This is crazy.
18:03So close.
18:04Oh!
18:06What a whiff punish.
18:08And the devil comes out.
18:09And like we said, once you find that opening, it's your job to fill it.
18:13And he just did.
18:15Sidestep block going right every time.
18:17Oh, what a whiff punish.
18:19He's got rage.
18:20He's going to resplat at the wall.
18:21He's got rage.
18:22It's going to hurt.
18:24He's dead.
18:26Wow.
18:27Incredible.
18:29What a game.
18:32Arslan.
18:34Oh, man.
18:35Oh, man.
18:36Isn't it so weird for Knee being the underdog and not just the underdog by this much?
18:42It's so weird.
18:43I mean, the pressure.
18:44Look at this.
18:45You can just feel the aura around Arslan right now.
18:47Yes.
18:48Steel pedal.
18:49He is a man on fire.
18:50And again.
18:51Oh, jeez.
18:52He traded.
18:53That was a rough trade.
18:54Yep.
18:56Okay.
18:57Knee's opportunity.
18:58Oh!
19:00Oh, my God.
19:01Full damage.
19:02Look at that damage.
19:03Oh!
19:04Oh!
19:06That was sick.
19:07What a finish.
19:08Touching the lights out.
19:10Sidewalk left there for Kazumi.
19:13Again.
19:14Backing up.
19:15Spacing.
19:16Red stuff.
19:17And look at that.
19:18Perfect.
19:19Look at Knee.
19:20Have you ever thought that Knee would look like this?
19:24Perplexed as to how to beat his opponent.
19:28And he is widely considered the best second player of all time.
19:32Of all time.
19:33Oh, snap.
19:34Oh, man.
19:35El Diablo.
19:36He's committed.
19:37It's never happened in the history of competitive Tekken.
19:40Someone to come out of nowhere, Pakistan, and dominate the entire Korean, Japanese,
19:47European, and North American scene.
19:50Oh, man.
19:51I'm loving it.
19:52And you guys, there's over 200,000 people watching right now.
19:55And this is, of course, record numbers for this game.
19:57And I can't believe it.
19:58Look at this.
19:59Oh, my God.
20:00Thank you so much, everybody, for joining us.
20:02But we're going to need your help.
20:04If Knee is to stay alive here, he's getting blown out.
20:08He has a lead.
20:10Oh, man.
20:11He can't squander it.
20:12Oh, and a punish.
20:13Tsunami.
20:14Rage is a huge deal here.
20:16Woo!
20:17Oh, again.
20:18Again.
20:19Woo!
20:20Wow.
20:21Look at Knee.
20:22Look at Knee.
20:24Look at the crowd.
20:25Oh, my God.
20:27How did he make that happen?
20:29What's going to happen right now?
20:31Knee looking for this opportunity.
20:33I'm holding my breath.
20:35Oh!
20:36The trade blows.
20:37Oh!
20:38Oh, man.
20:40That was a crazy trade.
20:42Arslan cementing his position as the best Tekken player on the planet,
20:50untouchable by any country that he has faced thus far.
20:55Very, very nice.
20:57So Pakistan takes it.
20:59Very decisive.
21:00You can't even counter that.
21:01No way.
21:02Arslan asks your EVO 2019 champion.
21:04The word fluke is not even in this galaxy.
21:08Arslan's win moved him to pray.
21:11And you know, of course, paying respect.
21:15I love what I'm seeing there.
21:17Beautiful.
21:18They knew how hard he worked, how far he'd come.
21:22And they knew what this win represented.
21:25This is an amazing story.
21:27Global Tekken has never been so blessed.
21:30I'm so happy for him.
21:31Arslan's win was more than just another tournament victory.
21:35It was a win for Pakistan.
21:37Nobody knew just how good Pakistan was as a region.
21:40Arslan Ashe shows up at EVO and he wins.
21:42And everybody's like, okay, this Arslan Ashe guy is pretty good.
21:44It's, you know, it's a big win.
21:46That's pretty wild.
21:47And then he's like, you guys haven't seen all the people I play with back home.
21:50He's like, you think I just came here and I'm this good?
21:52There's so many incredible players in Pakistan as a region.
21:54It's also a win for the rest of the world.
21:57Proof that Tekken isn't just dominated by Korea, Japan, and the U.S.
22:03Proof that if you can find a way to travel, if you think you're good enough,
22:07you can win the biggest tournament in the world.
22:10I do think this is a good learning experience for everyone.
22:13Don't just focus on who people tell you to.
22:15Keep your eyes open.
22:16Look around.
22:17Maybe you'll learn something new.
22:18Discover an EVO champion in the making.
22:21And finally, Arslan's win is a win for Tekken.
22:25It's an inspiring story that's sure to get more people from all over the world
22:29playing the game, traveling to tournaments, and creating even more stories.
22:35Arslan returned home to a hero's welcome in Pakistan.
22:38He was greeted with flowers in the airport and even made the national news.
22:43Let's start with Arslan Ash Siddiqui, the winner of this year's EVO 2019.
22:51But there are killers just as good as Arslan still in Pakistan
22:54who haven't gotten to travel.
22:56His win has sparked a few Pakistani players to sign with foreign orgs.
23:00But true change takes time.
23:02Pakistan isn't quite a Tekken powerhouse just yet.
23:06But their day is coming soon.
23:08Because Pakistan gave the world Arslan Ash.
23:12And Arslan Ash paid them back with good-ass Tekken.