Malaysian esports enthusiasts may face four-time Tekken 7 world champ in local tournament

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Imagine having the opportunity to claim ‘bragging rights’ of defeating a world champion or simply having the experience of competing with elite world-class gamers.

Local players of Tekken 7 a long-running franchise in Play Station 4 will be given a chance to face and possibly dethrone Arslan ‘Ash’ Siddique — a four-time world champion who is regarded as one of the greatest players in competitive Tekken history via a tournament.

Arslan who has gained global recognition is currently representing Twisted Minds and Red Bull Esports. He is a four-time EVO champion, having won Tekken 7 at EVO Japan 2019, EVO 2019, EVO Japan 2023 and EVO 2023.

He played a huge role in bringing the Pakistani fighting game community into the spotlight of mainstream recognition. His first win in 2019 was a historic moment for the Pakistani gaming community, as well as for the fighting game community as a whole.

“This will be a massive opportunity for local Esports gamers, especially Tekken 7 players here to showcase their skills and talents against the world’s best.

“For now, several world-class players have been confirmed, apart from four-time world champion Arslan, South Korea’s Sun-woong “LowHigh” Yoon, who was crowned the 2018 Evo Champion, will also battle it out with local players,” said organisers of the event Reacch Productions.

South Korea's Sun-woong "LowHigh" Yoon who was crowned the 2018 Evo Champion will also be part of the tournament. — Picture courtesy of Reacch Productions

The tournament officially titled: ‘JEMPUTAN: Tekken 7 Championship’ will take place over the course of two days on October 28 and 29 at gateway@klia2 mall.

Number one Tekken player in Thailand and Esport SEA Games 2019 gold medallist Nopparut “Book” Hempamorn who currently represents Talon esports, will also be participating along with Hasan “JoKa” R an elite Tekken player from the United Kingdom and a finalist of Tekken World Tour 2022: West Europe Regional Finals.

Tekken 7 is regarded as one of the best fighting games available on different platforms since it was released. Total sales for Tekken 7 have surpassed 10 million copies in 2022 while total sales for the Tekken series have also surpassed 54 million units.

Reacch Productions said the idea behind the two-day knockout-style tournament was to elevate and promote Malaysia’s esports while also boosting the country’s tourism to international gamers who have a huge following worldwide.

This is timely as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a RM30 million allocation during the tabling of Budget 2024 to encourage international gaming studios and companies to invest in the development of digital products alongside local talent. Esports is now regarded as a potential economic growth sector for the country.

The Prime Minister emphasised that this initiative is aimed at promoting Malaysia as a development hub for the esports industry.

The organisers said a maximum of 256 players will battle it out for supremacy to become the ‘JEMPUTAN King of Iron Fist’.

The format of the tournament will be Double Elimination with the game’s Tournament Mode used as Default Setting. All rules found in the official Tekken World Tour ruleset will also be in effect.

For the full rules and Code of Conduct, players can visit https://jemputan.net/t7. Players who are interested in taking part can also visit the same link and register themselves.

The organisers said the tournament here is recognised under the Tekken World Tour Dojo tournaments.

Dojo tournaments play a crucial role in Tekken World Tour as they allow players of all skill levels to participate and earn ranking points.

Such events allow players to earn ranking points based on their performance, which can ultimately qualify them for the Tekken World Tour Finals and contribute to their rankings on the Tekken World Tour leaderboards.

Top-performing players from Dojo events may earn direct invitations to higher-tier tournaments in the tour, such as Masters or Finals events, offering them a chance to compete on a grander stage.

The stakes are high, with a remarkable RM20,000 prize pool up for grabs, making this tournament a must-watch event for both esports enthusiasts and casual gamers alike. The event is co-organised with Esports Putrajaya, REF Venture and supported by Rakan Muda and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Reacch Productions pointed out that esports tourism allows individuals to travel to attend major tournaments — to immerse themselves in the gaming culture, meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in related activities such as cosplay and merchandise shopping.

“JEMPUTAN will bring benefits from increased tourism revenue, boost local economies and provide global exposure to Malaysia by organising tournaments of the highest level to highlight esports talents in Malaysia to competitive matches to improve their performance,” the organisers said.

Two other big tournaments are already in the pipeline for next year with announcements to be made in the near future.