Arslan Ash claims a third Evo title as Tekken 8 gets two new characters

In what could be the last showing for Tekken 7 at Evo Japan, Arslan Ash demonstrated absolute mastery of the game on his way to a third Evo title, and Bandai Namco put a spotlight on Tekken 8 with the addition of two more characters to the roster. 

With 1,400 players competing in the master-level event, many of Tekken’s greatest names were on display—but very few could hold a candle to Arslan Ash. And, while it wasn’t a perfect run by any means, it was a dominant grand final showing as he trounced another of South Korea’s top players, Meo-IL, 3-0. 

Arslan and Meo-IL faced off in the semifinals when the top eight first kicked off, with the series going a full three games in a Zafina/Geese matchup. 

Unfortunately for Meo-IL, Arslan already has a lot of experience against strong Geese players and also got to play him twice, leading to him picking up on his tendencies and executing perfect counters through excellent spacing. In that finals matchup, Meo-IL kept it close in a 3-2 opening game, but, in each subsequent game, Arslan was more dominant until he completed the sweep with a 3-0 game three to take home the win. 

Related: Tekken 8 hands-on: A console-first approach levels up an arcade classic

With his win at Evo Japan 2023, Arslan now has his third Evo title, pairing it with Evo 2019 and Evo Japan 2020. He ties Knee for the most titles at the event series for Tekken and almost poetically sets up an even bigger storyline for Evo 2023 this August, as the two could potentially break that tie. 

And speaking of poetic, Tekken producers Katsuhiro Harada and Michael Murray took the stage once the finals wrapped up to add some extra heat into the viewers’ systems with the world premiere of Leroy Smith’s Tekken 8 gameplay. 

Leroy was one of the final DLC fighters for T7 and dominated the meta when he was released, including at Evo Japan 2020. He looks just as smooth in this first look, with rapid movements, practiced counters, and his dog Sugar all returning. But that wasn’t all. 

After seeing the Grandmaster of Drip work his Wing Chun magic, Bandai surprised fans with a second reveal, showcasing Asuka Kazama for the first time. 

Asuka literally comes in swinging, with devastating moves that look like they bring more of a punch compared to her T7 counterpart. A brash approach to fighting already has fans speculating about changes to her kit and how a potential stance addition could switch up how she plays—along with gushing over her brutal Rage Art. 

That announcement, alongside talk about the 2023 Tekken World Tour, concluded a massive showing for Bandai and Tekken at Evo Japan 2023 after giving fans multiple character announcements, insight into the systems, and their first chance to get hands-on time with Tekken 8. We’re just waiting for more reveals and a release date, but these constant character showcases have fans hopeful for a large starting roster and sooner-than-expected drop.