The fiercest combat of countries went down in Riyadh.
A great deal of national pride always goes on the line when it comes to international tournaments, but perhaps even more so with fighting games, as individual players carry the hopes of their entire region on their shoulders. Gamers8 brings a twist on the formula with the Tekken 7 Nations Cup to truly bring out the strengths and rivalries between countries.
The three-day tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, invited three-man teams made up of the best Tekken 7 players from across 16 different countries. From the US, Japan, South Africa, and the Philippines, each country was looking to prove that they are the best.
Every match consists of three 1v1 bouts with each member of the team taking turns against each other. They’ve even implemented a point system to make sure that every match played counts.
This new format introduces a team dynamic that’s mostly absent in most fighting game tournaments. In between matches, teams have a chance to strategize, discuss, and plan ahead – essentially elevate each other in what’s usually a solo environment.
Which country will come out on top?
Team Philippines consisted of Alexandre “AK” Laverez, Andreij “Doujin” Albar, and Juliano “Jules” Lozano. As well-known veterans in the Pinoy Tekken scene and teammates in PlayBook Esports, team Philippines was poised to make a deep run in the Gamers8 Tekken 7 Nations Cup.
They proved themselves well enough during the group stage, soundly beating both Bolivia and Germany. But unfortunately, team Japan eliminated team Philippines in the first round of playoffs in a decisive 3-0.
Unsurprisingly, the grand finals went down between the two strongest Tekken 7 regions in the world: Pakistan vs. South Korea. It’s always been a coin toss to see which of these titans of Tekken will come out on top but in this instance, Pakistan went undefeated in the entire tournament and beat South Korea 3-1.
With this victory, Arslan, “Arslan Ash” Siddique, Imran Khan, and Atif “Atif Butt” Ijaz walk away with a 500,000USD grand prize and the right to say that Pakistan is the best Tekken 7 region in the world.
Banner image from Gamers8 on Twitter.
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