Arslan Ash was the symbol of a whole country.
For a shining moment, Arslan stood on top of the Tekken world - but the opposition rallied.
Arslan didn’t fall off, but he did fall behind. And he wanted more: he wanted to stand at the apex of Tekken 7 once again, to conquer the world - to make history.
Arslan Ash wanted to win - and no one could stop him.
Hosted by: Dimitri Pascaluta (@DPascaluta)
Written by: Josh Bury (@thrown_gauntlet)
Edited by: Patrick Weiers (@patrickweiers)
Produced by: Alina Sotula (@ASotula), Jason Durante (@JayJay_Durante), and Danielle Rosen (@_DanielleRosen)
Thumbnail by: William O'Keefe (@MagooMagoof)
Music used under license from Associated Production Music LLC (”APM”).
Footage credits: pastebin.com/v3hduQ8m
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Pakistan’s appearance as a world power in Tekken was nothing short of something out of an anime. For years we believed there was nobody who could best Korea or Japan, until Arslan shows up and lets us know there exists a land of entirely different monsters.
its true, korea dominates so much in gaming. Never heard of Pakistan being competitive in any games, they started as underdogs to dark horse, now to world champion.
@@syrus3657 I hate that Im in Asia. I play with Koreans daily in Ranked and Im getting stomped. I just wanna chill man
Love your comment
We all played tekken 3 in childhood, a lot
@657 there so much potential in pakistan. they world has not seen it cz of Pakistan's shit pile situation and politics.
It's been over 3 years of no Tekken News, i just want to tell everyone that a year ago (2023) Arslan got married, and I'm happy for him!
More than a year He has a little baby too
Nice
Damn didn't know that. Big ups to Arslan.
GREAT PLAYER ARSLAN. FROM JAPAN🇯🇵
Congrats Arslan
peak era of change when arslan came on the evo scene, it was like a flood of new style coming out of pakistan. everyone was so used to korea and japan dominating tekken. then came arslan true underdog story.
Makes me wonder what other hidden talents are out there not just in Tekken, but in anything.
@@mrlion8834 The south America scene is nasty.
I heard Africa gets down too
and thats what i turly hope. i love the asian gaming scene but tbh i be getting treid of the same players play agiast each other and truly hope the scene of other countries comes to light. i wanna see Africa and south americas scence a lot more but well see
All regions are starting to pop off. The demand for a scene will cultivate more players. When they lock it in and show up on those days, we will see them on the grandest stage.
I think what Arslan shows the most is that there are many gods/monsters out there for these games/competitions but are unfairly denied access due to the shitty world circumstances, that only makes it more beautiful though when we do see them bloom and thus make the community bloom more than ever.
very true, AK a tekken pro from Philippines got denied of his Visa again for a Tekken tournament in Vegas,, his highlight was beating 2 korean pros to go to finals vs Knee but got beat
Yup. AK and Book are from minor FGC scenes yet they show up whenever they can. South America has an insane potential for Tekken but it's held back by the difficulties in accessing the games. The tekken world tour did in fact give a lot of south americans a stage to show up their stuff. But i mean, i remember a compatriot showing up against JDCR in Tag 2 (el negro piripicho from Venezuela).
His entire 2023 run was the most dominating Tekken performance I've ever seen.
Arslan is on a level that only a few in billions have achieved. Like 4 EVOs and Final TWT. Not to mention he won an FGC treble for TEKKEN. The man is a legend in a few years and has such an amazing story that touches your heart. Good luck Arslan Ash
sad that he said t8 is his last forray as a pro, he want to do business after t8. :(
Yeah, but Tekken 8 just released, we will have a long time with him in Tekken 8. Try to enjoy it as much as you can :)@@metalsadman
@@metalsadman made sense, he doin business and FGC scene will be his side hustle, maybe becomes commentator, a guest or some sht,
@@metalsadmanbro what are you talking about, how is that sad?? You're acting like he said that 2024 would be his last year competing lmao Tekken games have long life cycles. T9 won't be out for 8+ years, relax
@metalsadman he'll probably get a solid 8-10 years out of this game.
Pakistan and especially Arslan Ash´ Tekken story is so amazing. A country that no one had on their list brought up the best Tekken 7 Player ever. Esports is amazing, love it.
Kids in Pakistan, literal Kids under 12 play Tekken better than some grown ups, And they mostly start at Tekken 3 but they are some of the wildest adversaries you can face in Tekken if you fight them online
@@HajiChola I can vouch. I've been playing Tekken as a kid in arcades and my console. I left Pakistan like 17 years ago and I randomly saw a arcade that had Tekken on it with kids huddled around it. Went to play thinkin I could slap a couple kids and show them how I used to get down. I got absolutely decimated, those kids are in a league of their own. Combos I've never seen in my life were done on me. I quit Tekken 7 cause of that 🤣🤣. Might come back to Tekken 8 without the ego this time.
Tekken 7 17 years ago 🤔@@ummadf3250
pakistan has best tekken player in the streets. you can come and witness it. we develop our style offline in arcades one to one with other local players thats why the world doesnt know about us.
as a fellow neighbouring Indian, I am so proud of him and Atif to put South Asia on the map in international esports. This is only their beginning. Edit : there seems to be a lot of confusion as to why I said "South Asia" for an achievement of Pakistani player(s). I just want to make it clear that I am not trying to fit into your country's achievements, I just am celebrating Arslan's success in his field, and from someone down in South Asia, he's one of the only few who have excelled in eSports. I have followed him for a long time and his success makes me happy and gives the esports audience of Pakistan a reason to be proud too. I do not see why I should have nationalistic pride (as a Pakistani) when I am Indian. No hate to my people over the border, let's celebrate his success together :)
Well fellow neighbors are 99.99% percent showing their hate towards a professional Pakistani player every live event fellow neighbors are being Toxic and they come out to hate and crap talk about him the moment he loses a mare round.
Thank you, brother, these are the victories of great land! South Asians for the win!
@@ehsankhan8956bahi, bad folks everywhere. Let's appreciate the good and shun the toxic
Thank You
@@ehsankhan8956 well it goes both ways I mean criticizing others achievements. There will be always cases like if there are bad people there will be some good people and if there are good people and there always will be some bad people like even our Pakistani people make fun of them in their bad time therefore we should also point our finger tips at ourselves before going for others. I know its a long yapping but hope it helps
Real life anime protagonist. What an inspiration.
Man not just hitting the lab with characters but also hitting the gym it seems. Looking big champ. Keep it up King of Iron Fist!
4 evos is CRAZY
And that’s only since 2019 and his 2023 was the most dominant year for probably any fgc player ever he literally won everything he participated in
Two thirds. Arslan has won *two thirds* of every EVO he's entered. No one has that record, for any series. Guy's nuts
@pranavjain8774 Technically that's not true. While his resume is goated. 4 gods of melee, jwong, zero, and sonic fox all had a year where they won everything that they entered. Tho Arslan is a bit more impressive cause he started only in 2019. That's really fucking wild.
@@firecross625and one of those EVOs he didn't win was the horseshit Leroy filled Evo Japan 😂. And he got third at the other.
Being carried by his teammates in the last team battle against Korea was a wake up call for him
You mean Gamers8? he still did well there, but yeah his teammates Khan & Atif played out of their minds.
He played equally well! Beat Chikurin in the finals vs Japan for us. He also beat Chanel vs Korea in the winners finals.
The ginormous balls Arslan have to pick Katarina in a Grand Final
He had to. CBM had beaten his Kunimitsu with Noctis before. As PhiDx said, Katarina was a counterpick, if he hadn't chosen her, he would've lost.
Back in 2019 he was a complete unknown from an unknown region that was never in the map for competition, by miracle he got to travel to his first EVO, 4 years later, Arslan Ash has cemented himself as The Best Tekken player in the world. Truly inspirational, a real legend.
WOOOO I MADE IT ON A VIDEO
Your contribution to Arslan Ash greatness will never be forgotten.
I'm quite new to the Tekken scene but man I was stoked when I heard the part about where you helped a brother out to get that historic win. I was like wait what?? PhiDX? the guy I follow for the game mechanics in general?? I must profusely apologize, like I said I'm new to the scene and all I ever hear is Knee and Arslan, I knew you were a very high level pro but I didn't actually realize to what extent. Legendary, and thanks for what you do for the community, most players in Esports in general don't make time for the casuals and interact with them. Anyways, cheers!
I've never played, nor ever watched Tekken.. and I really enjoyed this video. Exciting stuff! I'm definitely going to tune in to the next tournament.
Tekken 8 recently came out and it's a banger of a game. It's the perfect time if you want to get into Tekken :)
Definitely recommend picking up tekken. But my warning is, it’s a huge rabbit hole learning the game. So if ya a player that enjoys spending hours/ years learning one game, tekken is the best game for that
@@AysarAburrub how different tekken is compared to DOA? I've only tried DOA but also watch tekken mostly.
@@AysarAburrubDoes I need to play earlier part of Tekken to understand the story or I can start with Tekken 8?
@@izzdanial4323 I've never played DOA so i cant really say what the difference is. Sorry
Era of Atif Butt and Arslan is coming.
hehe u said butt huh huh huh
@@godsstrongestschizo Juvenile. That's my surname too. It's a Clan name from northern subcontinent area.
@@BullC6hahahaha butt
What do you meaning coming? It's here and always been here
No akuma or geese, i can't see any pakistani player other that arslan will be as good as what they did in Tekken 7
Arslan story is just like an Anime.
They need to make a netflix doc about his journey
@@onetokatman7293 Not a netflix but a hbo series
@@allaboutgames5133 now we are talking!
final T7 tournament winner. NOW thats a milestone oh right, there's also a 2-time back to back EVO(japan & vegas) champion. TWICE, definite MILESTONES right there
The score esports missed the momentous moment when knee coached lowhigh and atif coaching arslan. That moment is still giving goosebumps
Knee is looking ridiculously dominant in tekken 8 ranked right now so hopefully the Knee/Arslan rivalry will be back atop the tekken world again this year!
Watcout for Nobi or JDCR with their Dragunovs
Hes been Tekken out the competition.
I'll leave, sorry.
@@EthanSchaner You understand your transgressions. you've taken the time to reflect upon your actions and judged your own punishment. all is well
@@EthanSchaner Do not be sorry. Be BETTER.
LOL CRYING LAUGHING EMOJI
@@EthanSchaner I'll escort you out. It's been a pleasure.
I love how Arslan entered Tekken as this unknown little Pakistani kid. Then a few years later hes this buff Pakistani god and biggest name in Tekken
You see Arsalan Ash pic at 16:05? Bro was locked in from the start. He's definitely a monster and I want to see how he does in T8 tournaments.
Arsalan is a product of street gaming culture in 90s and early 2000s. We used to have a gaming shop in every residence/ living complex. Now that street gaming culture is not seen anywhere
Both arslan vs ulsan matches at the TWT finals and EVO 2023 were the best tekken 7 matches I'd ever seen in my life
Its quite nice to see players like arslan asking tips and advice from phidx not caring about their level of difference, really say much about how friendly and competitive he is
The GOAT of Tekken 7, nice guy too, got to meet him recently. Lets see what happens with Tekken 8!
Always respect when a rising star brings their community up with them
The video I had been waiting for... thanks scoreEsporta😊
the GOAT! Represents South Asia as a whole in Tekken here
Hope you guys get to compete more internationally! Everyone has a chance and should be given a chance!
@@kayosensei Love your comment. Sad how politics denies legends like him to achieve their potential
I love it when he lose to phidx, he asked him for advice and get better from there. That's a champion mindset right there.
What i loved about this story is it brought light on to the Pakistan Tekken scene, like what the hell kind of players do play there that this type of monster is born from there. And when Arslan said he wasn't even the best there, i believe him, i think he edges out by stage experience but sooner or later some pakistani will win EVO again.
As a indian I'm proud that our desi boy is becoming a legend , I follow him from the beginning and I want him to be the greatest ever of the game , more love more power to him ❤❤❤❤❤
As an Indian you should increase your own skill and not latch onto Pakistan's achievements lol. get good little bro
Desi skills >>>
Wow, how fast time flies from 2019 to 2024. Best tekken days of my life.
Watching Arslan beat Knee at EVO live was one of the greatest eSports moments of our time. It was so hyped up and Arslan almost didnt even get to go after problems with his visa. Then we got one of the greatest runbacks ever. Knee even shrugged to the crowd because he couldn't figure out what to do. Mind you, at this point, Knee is considered probably the best Tekken player in the world, one of the most decorated for sure. And for a no name player, from a country that has no known Tekken scene, to come out in the biggest eSports tournament in the world and absolutely body the GOAT, just an incredible story. Start to finish.
He is also the only Tekken player who alongside Tekken 7, played KOF 14 as well, competitively, on a very high level, and won some KOF tournaments too. At EVO 2022, he was playing both Tekken and KOF matches on the same day.
Love these player story videos! Keep it up
Who would've known years ago that Pakistan had one of the strongest Tekken scenes. Truly astonishing. Arslan has cemented himself to Legendary status. The Goat of Tekken 7. When Arslans at his best he cant lose. Ask Knee
This is why I'm subbed to you guys, fighting game content!
Arslan is such an inspiration to all of us who are from countries at the fringe of Esports.
Arslan ashhh the LOve of 220 millionsss people,the CHAMPION🤗🤩
IMO Arslan Ash never "fell behind" as he was still winning tier 1 majors just as much as other players if not more, he just wasn't as dominate as before, but still he never "fell behind". I feel like the video overstates his few and rare lesser performances and understates his wins for the sake of a better story arch for the video. Like when against Ulsan they said he "started to fall behind", squeezing the drama out of a 3-2 win for Arslan and how "CBM wasn't done" for another 3-2 win for Arslan. Not every Tekken fight is going to go 3-0 or 3-1. And after saying he was "falling behind" several times they then go "he dominated like no one else has" like they weren't just saying he barely made it
100% Correct!
wow! the level of research on this content is just amazing...i never knew Arslan even asked PhiDX on how to counter Noct. amazing guys keep it up!
HE WORKS SO HARD AND HE IS ACTUALLY A GOOD DUDE SO WELL DESERVED!!!
arslans rise is so inspiring to see his humble roots and where is now hes very strong
I still feel like our boy deserves so much more recognition! I dont think many realize just how insane he is based on his consistency and challenges he faces outside of the game!
Really great story telling here. Crazy to think about how these stories will be legends and lores for the future generations!
Harada and Murray rocking the Reina jackets at the finals haha When the public drop gonna be though, I’d cop that shit frame 1
so frustrating we have to wait almost 2 months from now before twt kicks off again latw april zzz.
The jackets gonna drop? Cus id cop it too lol
This video made the last TWT a struggle to win for Arslan. But for Arslan didn't even break a sweat all tournament
This video was so well made, it really made me get goosebumps. KING ARSLAN ASH IS UNSTOPPABLE
I love that they hug after the matches. Good sportsmanship :)
Great video guys, huge props.
Big ups to Arslan and Pakistan!! something no other South Asian has come close to.
so happy to see this thanks for covering our hero
He won Evolution JAP & USA and finally Tekken World Tour. Not to mention his Non-Major/ Off-Tekken Tournament achievements 🏆.
So happy for Arslan to have comeback, it is the best history of sports ever!
Arslan ashhh the Goat the Champion😍😍Mashallah
Tag 1 was playing in the back. It’s my favorite Tekken ❤️
I'm so hyped for Tekken 8 tournaments!!!
I could watch Arslan content for hours.
Would've loved to see his Kazumi one last time😢. Ulsan vs. Arslan is always tense and hype, you can feel that both players are holding their breaths
I admire Arslan so much, it's unreal ❤ His story is truly something else
I love it, I love tekken, and i love it being introduce into more countries for more players at evo!
Labs, Intricacy of learning frame, move sets, and match ups - as someone who feels intimidated to even try playing tekken, this is what it takes to go high level and beyond. Arslan took it even further.
Dominated t7 era so good. Can’t wait for more stuff with t8
.i love his story
Absolute 🐐
Honestly his career is not over yet and in its early stages but I could comfortably say that he's the goat of tekken. No one was this dominant in like 4 years (2020 not included) in tekken
the man, the myth, the legend....
Arslan is very humble and wont shy away from learning from anyone. That's his big strength
16:04 I wish I have a chance to witness a young Arslan Ash's reaction time and critical thinking... His fierce eyes 💀
I'm a simple Pakistani man, I see Arslan, I click
I'm a simple non-Pakistani man, I see Arslan, I click
@@XxBearZeusxXI'm a British/Pakistani man I see your comment, I like.
"... his Kuni was a problem." As always, Dimitri is living on the edge.
I really do think he’s still going to thrive in Tekken 8 as well, I just don’t know how far he will go compared to his dominance in Tekken 7. Still Goated for sure!
The story of Arslan always makes me wonder, what if there's another tekken god in some country where the e-sports scene isn't relevant, or even any game for that matter. I mean, he put his entire country on the map where no one expected so it could happen again.
That's the most exciting part of big open tournaments like Evo, we never know when the next great player will come from.
My man completed the Triplet Both evos and the Twt.
Yo Proud of You My Man Arslan Ash Everytime
i remember seeing arslan ash make his debut at top 8 finals live with my wife. as a lifelong tekken fan and someone who is ethnic pakistani. this made me really happy
in 2022 decmber arsalan came to mz universitz for tekken tournmant, he won and celebrated his win on twitter and from there on he went to winning streak, event was Nascon 2022
Tekken is the deepest game ever, no game even close.
was waiting on this one.
It's about time Tekken should add a Pakistani character in the next version! Like if you agree 👍🏽💯
Arslan Ash and Pakistan did what nobody could even imagine to be possible in the near future. Pure Anime 😮
I noticed harada at 16:07 giving us a sneak peak of the new character reina wearing her iconic purple lighting outfit
Boy's finally getting his much deserved spot light 🤝
that game with ulsan was too tight he almost lost, its nerve wrecking
Arslan really went on the hero's journey in 4 years.
Legend
I tought that was Lord Knight in the thumbnail and was so surprised that he was tekken god
05:14 reminds me of that Ethan Slater "Love and Care"interview LOL
Tekken is the most complicated fighting game other than VF. The fact that you can get a back-to-back champion is so important, you can't get anything close to this in a sf game or any other game.
I'm pretty sure SF has dominating champs as well pal
Not like arslan. so many of Arslan's matches arent even close lol. Like tournament achievements aside, no sf player just stood that far ahead of anybody else let alone for yeaars
@@dangbruhskyytomo (SF2 and SF2CE), Dagio (SF alpha 3, SF turbo, and early SF4), infiltration (Mid to late SF4 and Early SF5) Tokido (every game he touched from 2002-2005)
@@lewissteward65 im not saying daigo, tokido, j wong arent legends man certainly there are fgc legends jus the scope of tekken 7 being 8 year game, in a time with more ppl traveling more, from multiple nations competing. korean players drew a clear line how much better they were. Arslan swept 4 evos n drew a clear line how much better HE was n never moved lol. Its insane
@@dangbruhskyyTbh jwong fits. His dominance over marvel 2 and sf3 was legendary. In a time where the Japanese were seen as the best in Capcom titles, jwong put ppl on notice. If punk had won more majors, he'd have a similar success story. He just couldn't topple Tokido.
*What an inspiring inspiring story of a living legend!*
Man Arslan was a heart stopper in t7 such defence and offence
I watched Tekken for first time when Arslan played in EVO Japan. After 2019, I didn't follow the scene anymore Glad to hear his name again in 2024 and know that he is currently the God of Tekken. I'm glad that I watched the very first beginning of his journey with his Kazumi pick.
The best to ever do it 🔥
I remember stream last tekken 7 twt finals it's 3 am here and the fight was tense as hell
Lowhigh and knee brian is very strong in last twt but arslan is came out on top :d
1:46 so happy he said Pakistan correctly
MaShaAllah! ❤️
Tekken about to go crazy