Though the 2020 Tekken World Tour has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, fighting game communities around the globe have been working hard to provide its eager players with tournament opportunities, whether it be in online lobbies or their own residences.
With Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique dominating the TWT 2019, many fans wondered if there were any more Tekken Gods dwelling in the newfound Pakistani FGC. Luckily enough, FATE Esports recently hosted a Lockdown Brawl that showcased the top 24 players of Pakistan.
Some familiar superstars were present in the tournament, including Arslan Ash himself and Geese Howard expert Imran “Khan” Khan, but from the shadows came Heera Malik, a Steve Fox specialist just starting to make a name for himself.
The grand final was a best-of-five between EVO champion Arslan Ash and Heera Malik. While Heera went for his obvious pick of Steve, Arslan experimented by using Eliza, a character who he’s practiced with for only ten days.
Arslan Ash was able to get a game off with Eliza, but once Heera Malik started to see beyond the flashy mix-ups, he was ready to take over. With just one counter-hit combo, Heera continued with Steve’s trademark ground finish to even out the rounds.
Despite playing with an inch of health left after Arslan’s meter combo, Heera turned things around with a beautiful ducking Rage Drive, finishing the round and earning his first game on the board.
Heera eventually took the lead by hammering down some combos at the wall and with some air punishes. With Arslan only having a sliver of health left, Heera backed off and waited for the right opportunity to take the game with a Sonic Fang.
For the final game, Arslan switched to his legendary Kazumi, but he looked a little rusty. After a dropped Rage Drive, Heera immediately countered it with his own Rage Drive to secure the round.
Even though Arslan was able to tie up the rounds and deal some heavy counterattacks, Heera’s fighting spirit kept him from throwing in the towel. In the final round of the series, a low-life Heera managed to clutch two consecutive low punches to win the whole tournament.
“The tournament size basically doesn’t matter,” stated Heera after his win. “Every tournament is important and I have basically grinded for this particular tournament and it was proven to be really fruitful.”
“In the end, it’s the game of experience,” stated Arslan in his post-game interview. “He managed to compose himself and beat me with Steve and I didn’t have too much experience with Eliza.”
You can catch Heera Malik on his official YouTube channel and Twitter account.
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