"I am excited about the release of Project L" Arslan Ash talks upcoming fighting games, winning EVO Japan 2023, Hit Boxes, and more (Exclusive)

Few Tekken 7 players have the knowledge, skill, or presence that Arslan Ash has. Considered by many to be one of the best in the world, the Pakistan-born professional fighting game player has done a great deal to help the Pakistani fighting game community grow. His first major win was in Kuwait at the KOFGCC 2018 tournament, and he’s been dominating in several competitions ever since. Although his list of accolades is quite long, his most recent achievement saw him claiming first place at EVO Japan.

We recently spoke to Arslan Ash about his victory at EVO Japan 2023, alongside several other topics. From fighting games he’s excited about to the controversial topic of leverless controllers/Hit Boxes, the Tekken professional player opened up in an exclusive Sportskeeda interview.

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Arslan Ash discusses the importance of EVO Japan and more

Q. First, thanks for chatting with us! Congratulations on your huge win at EVO Japan 2023! How did it feel to come back to the place where you secured your first EVO trophy and win dominantly?

Arshlan Ash: Winning EVO Japan was when everyone came to know about me, so achieving that was a big thing for me. No one has done it before me – no one has won two EVO Japan titles. It felt amazing to make history, and I felt great winning the EVO Japan 2023 title.

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Q. During EVO Japan 2023, you defeated Meo-IL of South Korea 2-1 and later on in the Grand Finals with a solid 3-0. What would you say led to the more dominant performance in the second bout?

Arslan Ash: When I played with Meo-IL in the winner's semi-final, it was my very first time playing with him. It was a close win. It took me a while to understand how he plays. I didn't have an idea what kind of a player he was during the winner’s semi-final, which is why it was close.

As for the Grand Finals, I had already gotten an idea of the kind of player that he was, so I was relaxed and knew how to play against him. Furthermore, MEO-IL plays with Geese and I have good experience playing with this character as one of my partners, Fate Khan, plays with Geese and I have played with him. Additionally, I have played with this character as well, so I had an idea about it.

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Q. EVO Japan 2023 had some amazing players at the event. Was there anyone there you were excited to play against or worried to face?

Arslan Ash: I wasn't excited to play against any of the players. I really wanted to win, but I was worried about playing against Atif Butt, Knee, and Ulsan as they're some of the strongest players.

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Q. On that note, EVO Japan was also home to controversy. Punk called out EVO Japan for issues with the setups around the event. How did it feel to you? If there were problems, where do you think it could be fixed for next time?

Arslan Ash: The problem was that the mainstream monitors were lagging. Because of that, the overall performance was affected. There were a lot of things attached to the monitor, which resulted in a lot of lagging. Punk raised the same issue, and I did as well. After my match, I even complained about this issue. Next time, they should optimize the settings for the mainstream monitors so that players can have a better experience competing in matches.

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Q. You recently opened up on Twitter about your issues with getting into India for TWT. Are you willing to discuss what issues you’ve been having? If you don’t participate there, do you think it will seriously impact your ability to take first this year?

Arslan Ash: I don’t think it will impact my ability. I want to go to India because I like the country. I want to be there once in my life to experience it as I grew up watching Indian movies and dramas and it would have been great to play Tekken there.

I spoke to my travel agent about flying to India and he said that it wasn't possible to get a visa due to political reasons. If I could get an invitation from India, which would make my visa possible, I would love to go.

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Q. You’ve also spoken recently about potentially competing in KOF XV soon! What sort of challenges do you face when competing in two very different fighting games, and what solutions do you have to make practice time more efficient?

Arslan Ash: When I posted about this, I had recently spoken to Punk, who plays multiple games. I spoke to him about concentration issues, which I face when I play more than one game. Punk mentioned that it's about training your mind, and if you succeed in that, you can play more than one game at the same time.

This motivated me, and I felt that I needed to change my approach and train my mind as I had previously won KOF XV and Tekken in VS Fighting in London. Hence, I feel I can practice and compete in two different fighting games at the same time.

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Q. One of the biggest controversies in fighting games right now are leverless controllers. Do you think these are cheating? What is the consensus of the Pakistani FGC about hitboxes and similar controllers?

Arslan Ash: In Pakistan, leverless controllers aren't popular. According to me, this isn't exactly cheating, but it's very close to it. It's easy to perform commands and moves on such controllers, but you'll need practice. Personally, I don't appreciate or support hitboxes or similar controllers.

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Q. Pakistan has really grown as a hot spot for fighting games over the years. How did it grow to where it is now and how long did it take to get to where your scene is now? What steps did your fighting game players take to go international on such a level?

Arslan Ash: In comparison to the scene back in 2018-19, Pakistan has certainly grown a lot. While there's a lot of awareness regarding Tekken, there's no overall awareness of esports.

The Tekken Master Event that's being held in Pakistan is a big achievement. With numerous international players coming to train, even more will come and already have come in the past. Furthermore, Pakistan is winning in international tournaments. I won EVO Japan and Atif won TWT. In terms of Tekken, there has been significant improvement, which I hope will pave the way for other games as well.

However, there's still plenty of room for improvement. The government isn't supporting esports like other sports, which can really help the gaming community. When I went to my first international tournament, I went all alone with just my passion, and when I won, the rest of the world and sponsors set their eyes on Pakistan. Global sponsors began investing in Pakistani players and this is how my friends got sponsorships, so it was relatively easier for them.

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Q. It’s a great time for fighting game fans right now. Have you been keeping up with the latest Tekken trailers and character reveals? How do you feel about what you’ve seen so far?

Arslan Ash: I have been keeping up with the latest Tekken trailers and character reveals. The graphics, animations, and themes are crazy. I really like Lars and Jun Kazama and I am looking forward to playing with them.

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Q. There are new mechanics in Tekken 8 as well, which some have said only serves to lure in fighting game fans from other genres. Do you think this is the case or is change good to make the game more welcoming to newcomers?

Arslan Ash: I think the game is very attractive. Tekken 8 is very nice compared to other games like Street Fighter. It will definitely attract other players. I agree that the new mechanics are most likely being added to attract newcomers. Once we get to play the game, we will learn and know more about it and how it affects newcomers.

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Q. During EVO Japan 2023, you played both Kunimitsu and Zafina. If these two don’t make it into Tekken 8, is there anyone you’re keeping an eye on?

Arslan Ash: I have my eyes on Lars and Jun Kazama.

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Q. What about the other fighting games that are being teased or are on the way? Are you especially excited for games like Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi 4 or Street Fighter 6?

Arslan Ash: I am excited about Street Fighter 6, but I'm not particularly interested in Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi 4. Besides these titles, I am excited about the release of Project L.

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Q. When it comes to active games, you’ve competed in KOF XIV, KOF XV, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and Tekken 7. Are there any current games that have caught your eye? Perhaps GG Strive or DBFZ?

Arslan Ash: I am definitely looking forward to GG Strive and Street Fighter 6.

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Q. What does 2023 hold for Arslan Ash? Any goals or objectives you feel confident about completing this year?

Arslan Ash: For 2023, my main goal is to win TWT finals. I want to achieve this goal at any cost. Secondly, another tournament on my list that I really want to win is EVO USA. If I win this, I will become the first person in history to win four EVO titles.

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You can find Arslan Ash posting regularly on Twitter, as well as creating content on YouTube. Although he isn't very active on Twitch, his channel has several Tekken matches that interested fans can check out.