Arslan Ash in the most Evos, getting the most W’s before retiring, and soloing at the top.
There have been many discussions about Here’s Vegas it has lost its dignity. I mean Arslan Ash he has said this before. After the Saudi Arabian company bought Evo and announced a major expansion of the circuit, many experts and fans feel that the hype surrounding the event is dying. When the season ended, it seemed like Evo Vegas was becoming just another tournament.
On social media, FGC complained that the price was too high if they just went to the Evo near them instead. When I flew to Las Vegas, I immediately noticed the difference. FGC is not just all talk. They really didn’t show up. The badge line was empty. I was able to play any arcade game I wanted because the crowd was small. I could easily sit up front on any stage during the pools.
But when it comes to the Main Stage, you’ll never be able to tell that Evo Vegas is missing anyone. The stadium was packed. The fans were as passionate, hyped, and loud as ever, chanting callouts inside and betting on the matches. And the pros in the Top 8 were giving it their all. The competitions were crazy to watch.
And Arslan Ash won Episode 8 the competition. Just like always.
Nothing seemed to go wrong when it came to the competitions themselves. But speaking to Arslan Ash, he is still convinced that Evo is going in the wrong direction.
Evo loses its prestige, and EWC’s $1 million prize looks even better
Back in 2025, Evo announced plans to expand beyond Las Vegas and Tokyo, unveiling a Paris location in 2026 and Singapore in 2027.
“Evo felt like one epic event where the whole world came to compete,” Arslan Ash tweeted at the time. “Now that there are three Evos (and four next year), it’s slowly losing that reputation. I remember the days when there was only one Evo, one champion, one moment that defined the year.”
This is an unsurprising sentiment from FGC, which values authenticity and love above all else. Although it is growing, it still remains at a certain level, it is more focused on the current society than on the extremes of the norm.
But Evo continued to grow. After it was bought by a Saudi Arabian company, Evo shared it even more in the future, possibly creating a circuit that culminates in a championship-type event. And Evo Vegas began to demand more views, which brought in broadcasters that FGC felt were not real members of the scene. And let me be clear: the FGC would rather remain inactive than have the views of these broadcasters.
I caught up with Arslan Ash in the Red Bull lounge ahead of this weekend’s Tekken tour and asked him what Evo Vegas means to him with other events on the way. Do you still feel that Evo has lost its reputation?
“This year is good. We only had three Evos,” he said. “Europe somehow makes sense. It’s big. Some people can’t go to the United States or Japan. Having one there is fine. But adding seven Evos… I think it’s too much.”
Arslan Ash told me that the only way this would make sense is to make Evo Vegas bigger than other Evo events. This will save the reputation. At this time, even Japanese players say that Evo Vegas is more important because of its history, he told me.
“It will be special forever,” he said. But you want it to be special in the current. It is not a special memory. For that, Evo needs to stop expanding. Arslan Ash revealed that many people didn’t even show up, noting that a lot of Street Fighter contestants backed out.
While the FGC values history and culture, Evo Vegas may disappear from the list if more Evo events continue to pop up. But for now, it’s still important. I mean, Arslan Ash still flies from Japan to Las Vegas to compete.
“There’s a guy in Australia who told me when I was young that winning Evo Vegas means you’re the best player in the world,” Arslan said. “Everybody goes to Vegas — or used to — to say they’re the best in the world. That way, it’s still the same.”
However, the focus has changed. While Evo Vegas is still exclusive to the FGC (for now), the real goal is to get the Esports World Cup. This is shocking to hear, because many people in the sport have blacklisted the EWC due to its ties to the government of Saudi Arabia. The money thrown at the event makes it look like a forced show rather than an open competition or anything.
“EWC is not about respect,” Arslan Ash agreed. “It’s about value. Prize money. Before, our plan was to win Evo Vegas. But now, our goal is to win EWC.”
Despite the dedication, Arslan Ash has no plans to slow down
I think this speaks more to Arslan Ash’s success than the concept of FGC as a whole. Evo’s prize pool is huge, so he doesn’t try to escape from missions like in Super Smash Bros. Melee (where the prize is lucky to be more than $2,000 to the winner). But EWC is dangling $1 million in front of the Tekken 8 community.
Of course not just money. Although I don’t blame him for wanting to take it up a notch.
Arslan Ash has now won eight Evo tournaments (seven as we speak). Defeating Evo is a small given. However, he is not blindly cocky. He told me that as he expands Evo, he doesn’t expect it to win all seven events every year. Meanwhile, there is only one EWC each year. That means one chance to become the EWC Champion. One chance at $1 million.
Obviously it is not unreasonable for a top professional to want to win more and more tournaments. But for Arslan Ash, it’s more than just the will to win. He wants to make the most of his Tekken career while he can. Before he retired. It’s a funny thing to hear from someone in their 20s, but that’s the nature of esports.
“I only have a few years left,” he admitted to Esports Insider. “Maybe 10 years? You have to stop eventually. I’m almost 30 years old. The younger players get better. I have this short time, so I want to keep winning.”
While Arslan Ash admits that there are few fighting game players in their mid-30s who are at their best, such as King of Fighters’ top player Xiao. Hi. But maybe that’s not how he sees his future.
He recently moved to a place outside of Tokyo, Japan to focus more on Tekken. In Pakistan, where he comes from, there are not many players to train with. He found himself not knowing certain matchups and facing an aggressive style of play. Moving to Japan was good for his career: he saw improvements in matchups and enjoyed better internet. He has also been experimenting with new foods. Tried octopus (and didn’t like it).
“Life is better,” he said. “Quiet, pleasant, less traffic, less noise. Family friendly.”
But that’s the price you pay for better internet and being on top: you feel more lonely. Away from family and friends, Arslan Ash is always completely focused on the next event. After winning Evo Vegas, Arslan Ash told a group of reporters that he plans to return to Pakistan to visit his family.
“When you’re at the top, you feel alone,” he agreed. “My friends aren’t even here. Your family is always there to support you. Real support. Up there you’re alone. There’s only you and your family.”
