“EWC isn’t about prestige, it’s about value”: Arslan Ash on too many Evo’s, getting more W’s ahead of retirement, and being alone at the top

There has been a lot of chatter about Evo Vegas losing its prestige. Even Arslan Ash himself has mentioned this before. After a Saudi Arabian company purchased Evo and announced a massive circuit expansion, many pros and fans felt the hype around the event was dying. Once the culmination of the season, it seemed Evo Vegas was becoming just another tournament.

On social media, the FGC lamented that the price was too high when they could just go to an Evo near them instead. When I flew to Las Vegas, I immediately noticed the difference. The FGC is not just all talk. They truly didn’t show up. The badge line was empty. I was able to play any arcade game I wanted because the crowd was smaller. I could easily sit in the front at any stage during pools.

But when it came to the Main Stage, you’d never be able to tell that Evo Vegas was missing anybody. The stadium was packed. The fans were just as passionate, hype, and loud as ever, chanting insider callouts and taking bets on matches. And the pros in Top 8 were giving it their all. The matches were insane to watch.

And Arslan Ash won the Tekken 8 tournament. Just like always.

Nothing really seemed off when it came to the tournaments themselves. But speaking with Arslan Ash, he is still quite confident that Evo is going in the wrong direction.

Back in 2025, Evo announced plans to expand beyond Las Vegas and Tokyo, revealing the Paris location for 2026 and Singapore for 2027.

“Evo used to feel like one legendary event where the whole world came to compete,” Arslan Ash tweeted at the time. “Now with three Evo’s (and four next year), it’s slowly losing that prestige. I miss the days when there was only one Evo, one champion, one moment that defined the year.”

This is an unsurprising sentiment from the FGC, which values authenticity and passion above all else. Even as it’s grown, it has remained somewhat grassroots, focused more on the current community rather than expanding into the mainstream.

But Evo continued to grow. After it was purchased by a Saudi Arabian company, Evo shared even more upcoming locations, possibly making a circuit that culminates in a championship-type event. And Evo Vegas started pushing for more viewership, bringing on streamers that the FGC felt were not genuine members of the scene. And let me be clear: the FGC would rather stay broke than have views from these streamers’ fans.

I met up with Arslan Ash at Red Bull’s lounge ahead of the weekend’s Tekken tourney and asked him what Evo Vegas means to him now that more events are on the way. Does he still feel that Evo has lost its prestige?

“This year is fine. We only had three Evo,” he said. “Europe somehow makes sense. It’s huge. Some people cannot travel to the United States or Japan. Having one there is kind of okay. But adding seven Evo… I think it’s too much.”

Arslan Ash told me that the only way this would all make sense is to make Evo Vegas bigger than the other Evo events. This would keep the prestige. At this time, even Japanese players say Evo Vegas is the most important because of its history, he told me.

“It’ll be special forever,” he said. But he wants it to be special in the present. Not a special memory. For that, Evo needs to stop expanding. Arslan Ash pointed out that many people didn’t even show up, noting that a large number of Street Fighter competitors backed out.

While the FGC values history and tradition, Evo Vegas could still disappear into the lineup if more Evo events keep popping up. But for now, it still matters. I mean, Arslan Ash still flew from Japan to Las Vegas to compete.

“There’s a guy from Australia who told me when I was new that winning Evo Vegas means you’re the best player in the world,” Arslan said. “Everyone travels to Vegas – or used to – to claim themselves best in the world. In that way, it’s still the same.”

However, the focus has shifted. While Evo Vegas is still special to the FGC (for now), the real aim is to qualify for the Esports World Cup. This is shocking to hear, since a lot of people in esports have blacklisted the EWC for its ties to the Saudi Arabian government. The money being thrown into the event makes it appear more like a forced showcase rather than a tournament that counts for anything.

“EWC isn’t about prestige,” Arslan Ash agreed. “It’s about value. The prize money. Before, our plan was to win Evo Vegas. But now, our aim is to win EWC.”

I think this speaks more to Arslan Ash’s success rather than the mindset of the FGC as a whole. Evo’s prize pool is pretty big and all, so he’s not struggling to break even on trips like over in Super Smash Bros. Melee (where the prizing is lucky to be over a $2,000 for the winner). But the EWC is dangling $1 million in front of the Tekken 8 community.

Of course it’s not just money. Although I don’t blame him for wanting to step it up.

Arslan Ash has now won eight Evo tournaments (seven when we spoke). Winning Evo is a bit of a given for him. However, he’s not blindly cocky. He told me that as Evo expands, he doesn’t expect to win all seven events every year. Meanwhile, there is only one EWC each year. That means one chance to be the EWC champion. One chance at $1 million.

It’s clearly not a crazy thing for a pro at the top of their game to want more wins at more tournaments. But for Arslan Ash, it’s even more than just a desire to win. He wants to make the most of his Tekken career while he can. Before he retires. It’s a funny thing to hear from someone in their late 20s, but that’s the nature of esports.

“I have only a few years left,” he admitted to Esports Insider. “Maybe 10 years? You have to retire eventually. I’m almost 30. The young players are getting better. I have this short period of time, so I want to keep winning.”

While Arslan Ash acknowledged that there are a few fighting game players in their mid-30s who are at their peak, like top King of Fighters player Xiao Hai. But maybe that’s not how he sees his own future.

He recently moved to a suburb outside of Tokyo, Japan to focus more on Tekken. In Pakistan, where he’s from, there aren’t many players to practice with. He found himself not knowing certain matchups and dealing with a more consistently aggressive playstyle. Moving to Japan was great for his career: he’s seen improvements in matchups and enjoys the better internet. He’s also been exploring new foods. He tried octopus (and didn’t like it).

“Life is better,” he said. “It’s quiet, nice, less traffic, less loud. Good for family.”

But that’s the price you pay for better internet and being at the top: you feel very alone. Away from family and friends, Arslan Ash is always completely focused on the next event. After winning Evo Vegas, Arslan Ash told a panel of journalists that he planned to return to Pakistan to visit his family.

“When you are at a high level, you feel alone,” he admitted. “My friends aren’t even here. Your family is the one that always supports you. Real support. At the top, you’re alone. There’s just you and your family.”