Arslan Ash explains why he’s struggling with Tekken 8 — and why he’s not giving up

Arslan Ash was arguably the strongest player in Tekken 7’s history, but the transition to Tekken 8 has introduced a lot of new challenges for him. Dexerto sat with Arslan for an exclusive interview to ask about what’s keeping him motivated to take back his spot as best Tekken player in the world.

Arslan Ash is a name synonymous with Tekken at this point, someone whose legacy through Tekken 7 has cemented his name in the game’s history forever. Now, Pakistan is one of the most respected regions in the esport, and that’s no different with Tekken 8.

However, Arslan has his fair share of issues with Tekken 8’s balancing. There are many aspects of the game that have left him frustrated, and he’s had trouble replicating past success.

According to him, Tekken 8 is a different game. A lot of the knowledge he gained from years with Tekken 7 isn’t clicking with 8, but he’s not letting that deter him from working toward a new era of international dominance.

Arslan Ash’s difficult transition to Tekken 8

“Tekken 8 is overall a different game. Like, yeah, I’m taking my experience to Tekken 8 from Tekken 7, but they completely changed the meta. They completely changed the design and engine for the game. Even if I have a lot of experience vs certain characters, I still feel like I have to learn every character, every matchup from the beginning,” Arslan explained.

“Learning Tekken 8 is very hard. I’m losing a lot these days. I feel like a noob starting from scratch.”

His frustrations came alongside a number of gripes with Tekken 8 itself.

“A lot of things need to be fixed. The first thing I would say is Heat itself is so overpowered. Chip damage is also part of the equation. I’d say chip damage and heat need to be tuned down. And some characters are very broken. Dragunov, Azucena, Feng – they have stupid moves. The game overall has to be scaled back.”

Take this with a grain of salt considering Arslan tweeted about how he’s going to “adapt regardless of the meta” a short time after we interviewed him. He’s determined to learn the game despite its flaws, and he’s got the perfect dojo to do it.

Pakistan is one of the strongest regions in the world, and that’s in large part thanks to Arslan’s efforts. The competitors he trained alongside and propped up in Tekken 7 are, in turn, pushing him past his limits and giving him the perfect environment to grow in for Tekken 8.

Li Hoang | Arslan Ash | Twisted Minds

Arslan has come a long way, and Pakistan has only grown with him.

He’s not happy with his performance, but he’s glad his region is growing and that he can grow with it.

“To be very honest… I feel sad. It’s not like when I’m losing a tournament in Pakistan, I feel proud. It’s not like that, it’s never been like that. It’s kind of a mixed feeling. But I’m happy because of the fact that I came from Pakistan and the community is so strong.” Arslan claimed. “Let’s say I’m losing in Pakistan, but I go to compete at an international tournament. This is really good for me because the competition is so high in Pakistan – it’s the same as the Street Fighter scene in Japan, it’s so huge and so competitive that, if you’re winning in Japan, you can win everywhere.”

Or, at least, this is what Arslan thought for a while. He’s learned over time that there’s a limit to how far winning within his region can take him, and that likely holds true for Tekken 8.

“Each region has a different style. Before, I used to believe that if you win in Pakistan, you could win everywhere in the world. But it’s not true. When I got to the USA, when I go to Japan or other countries, I’m sometimes like, ‘No, why are these players doing hopkicks randomly?’ Their mentality is different. To become a pro player, the best player, you have to travel and get the experience of different regions and different players. But I feel happy that my region is so strong.”

This is where the Esports World Cup comes in, an event that brings players all around the world to a place where Pakistani players can actually compete.

Creating the next best Tekken players

One of the biggest obstacles to Pakistani Tekken players is actually getting to tournaments. Part of the reason that it took so long for this region to get on the map was how hard it was to show up for tournaments.

Even for EVO Japan 2019, Arslan’s first EVO win, getting into the country was incredibly difficult. His first EVO win came off the back of him being sleep-deprived and having to fight all the way through the loser’s bracket after a fairly early loss.

But this was also a defining part of his career.

Arslan Ash

Arslan Ash has won a ludicrous amount of events over the years.

“The first win at EVO Japan gave me so much motivation. When I was at EVO Japan, I wasn’t sure if I was gonna win. But, before that, I beat Knee at OUG in Dubai, and I was like, ‘Maybe I can win because I beat [Knee],’ you know?”

Knee and Arslan’s rivalry has been burning hot ever since then, and that win over arguably the best Tekken player at the time gave him a lot of confidence. Confidence that would only grow once he took the EVO 2019 title.

“I was kind of confident, but not 100% sure I could win EVO. That win gave me a lot of motivation to become a better player and get where I am now.”

Sharpening his skills against players like Knee is what has allowed Arlsan to excel as a competitor, and it’s part of why the Esports World Cup is so exciting for this region. The tournament taking place in Saudi Arabia eliminates the myriad Visa issues Pakistani players have faced and allows them to focus solely on playing the best Tekken they can.

“When we heard that the Esports World Cup was going to be happening – not in USA, not in Japan, but in Saudi Arabia – everyone was so excited in Pakistan. Now we don’t have any Visa problems going to Saudi Arabia, we are happy.”

Tekken 7, Tekken 8, and the fighting game scene as a whole have grown beyond what he could have ever imagined when he started playing fighting games in arcades over a decade ago. And now the Esports World Cup is set to put up the biggest prize pool in Tekken history.

“I think nobody imagined it at that time. I’m talking about, like, in 2012. When I started playing, I didn’t know international competitions happened. I never imagined fighting games themselves would become this big, and it’s all thanks to the Esports World Cup. Just its existence is huge. Now everyone in the world is so motivated, big companies are sponsoring players from all around the world. It’s huge as an ecosystem, it’s good for the teams, good for the players, good for everyone.”

And, ultimately, part of Arslan Ash’s passion for Tekken 8 and the series going forward is to grow the scene. Members of the organization that he founded, Ashes Gaming, are only getting better. The seeds he planted by putting Pakistan on the map in Tekken have grown into a bustling community that harbors some of the world’s best competitors.

Beyond his frustrations with the game currently, he’s incredibly hopeful for the future of Tekken 8 and his future with it.

“Ashes Gaming is like my baby, you know? I started Ashes Gaming like 4 years ago, and I was sponsoring that team through my own money. But now, Mashallah, we’ve got some sponsors. Big ones. I don’t have to put my own money into it, I’m even getting profit from it. But my main goal with the team is that I’m helping young, talented players from Pakistan.”

Arslan had praise for Usama, someone he helped train who is now one of Tekken 8’s best.

The joy of mentoring these young players and building them up under his banner is yet another way he’s contributing to the community, and a way he hopes to cement his legacy as not just one of the best Tekken players, but someone who has given Pakistan a spot on the world stage that didn’t exist just a few years ago.

“There’s a lot of talent. If that talent plays with me or my group, they become so strong. Also, the goal with that is, after I go into retirement, then I’ll have a team – my own team – that’ll go places and keep winning. This is my vision.”