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Players from Pakistan have been dominating the professional Tekken scene – but the game’s director says he has no idea how it got so big in the country.
First launched 30 years ago, the Japan-developed fighting game released its eighth numbered instalment at the start of this year.
The competitive Tekken scene used to be ruled by players from the Far East, but the current top ten contains four players from Pakistan.
Speaking at a recent tournament, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada told BBC Asian Network the dominance of pros from the country “came out of nowhere”.
Tekken is a 3D beat ’em up where players fight each other in one-on-one bouts in best-of-three matches.
Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique became an overnight superstar on the competitive circuit when he claimed victory in the 2019 EVO fighting game tournament.
He went on to win the coveted title four more times, earning him all-timer status in the eyes of many fans.
Arslan, 29, is currently ranked 10th in the world after an early exit from the Red Bull Golden Letters Tournament in London, but fellow Pakistani pro Atif Butt holds the second spot in the world list.
It’s clear that the country’s become a force on the global stage, but the game’s director still isn’t sure how it got there.
