Hey anime fans, hope you guys are doing great. This time around I want to write about something that was always been part of my life since my childhood which is Tekken if you have watched anime then most probably have come across this wonderful series.
And if you haven’t then you might have at least heard about it as recently its anime series was released on Netflix. So in this blog, I would like to talk about Tekken and about its Esports. And if you enjoyed the content and got any useful information then do comment your opinion it helps a lot.
Now, lets strati get to it. But before knowing anything it’s better to know about its history and origin so we would first take a look at the history of Tekken.
History Of Tekken
To know the origin of Tekken we have to go to the late 90s. When it was active under a different name but in the year 1994 Namco changed its name to Tekken and started producing the game. To date, it has nine additional entries eight spin-off games, live-action series, animation films, and many other media.
But the most important titles for Tekken were Tekken 2 and Tekken 3 as they received critical acclaim for their gameplay and more immersive experience.
To date, it has shipped a total of 53.5 million units which makes it one of the best-selling video game franchise. And with the entry of the Tekken 8 series, these numbers and popularity will increase tremendously.
Originally it was launched as an arcade game. And now it has covered almost every section be it Playstation To PC. In the PC segment, it was introduced with Tekken 7 in the year 2017. Though you can still play every Tekken series on a PC by using other applications.
If you haven’t checked the trailer of Tekken 8 yet then check out the video down below,
Evolution Of Tekken
Now let’s take a look at all the series that Bandai Namco has produced and how it has evolved since then.
Note Sales in this section cover Playstation.
Tekken
This is the first game of the Tekken series and was released in 1994 firstly for the arcade and then for Playstation in the year 1995. This game features a total of eight playable characters and each of these characters has its sub-boss. This series has a record sale of 1.7 million in the year 1995.
Tekken 2
Tekken 2 has a total of 25 characters of which 10 were playable characters and 15 were locked which can be unlocked by playing. Tekken 2 was released in the year 1995 in the arcade and for Playstation in the year 1996.
Several years later it was made for a port called Zeebo. The total sale in the year 1996 was recorded at 5 Million.
Tekken 3
Tekken 3 series was related in the years 1997 and 1998 for arcade and Playstation respectively. And as there was a 19-year storyline gap between the game and its predecessor. The game mainly featured a new cast of characters. The new lead character Jin Kazama was introduced as a well new staple character as Ling Xiaoyu and Hwoarang were introduced.
Tekken 3 has a total of 23(twenty-three) characters. Tekken 3 has a total of 8.5 million in sales.
Tekken Tag Tournament
Released in the year 1999 it was a non-cannon game featuring a total of thirty-four(34) characters. Tekken Tag Tournament was released for the arcade in 1999 and for Playstation in the year 2000.
Even though it was not a cannon storyline game it is considered a major entry to the franchise. In this game characters used to Tag teams and fight against each other. Personally it this one was my favorite. Its sales were recorded to be 2.367 Million for Playstation
Tekken 4
Tekken 4 was released in the years 2001 and 2002 for arcade and PlayStation 2 respectively. This was the fifth installment of the series and was the cannon series. It has a record sale of 2.005 Million in PSP.
Tekken 5
Tekken 5 has two series that is Tekken 5 and Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. Tekken 5 was released in the years 2004 and 2005 for arcade and Playstation respectively. Tekken 5 has a total of 32 playable characters featuring Devil Jin And Osaka’s Asuka Kazama. The total sale of Tekken 5 is said to be 6 Million.
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Following Tekken 5 another Tekken series was released under the name Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. It was done as it was the first time that this big and significant update was brought to PSP and as it was so big and significant enough that it was re-released in the year 2005.
Though arcade used to get updates for PSP it was the first time. In this update, 2 new characters were introduced Emilie “Lili” De Rochefort and Sergei Dragunov. Total sales for this series went to 2.2 Million.
Tekken 6
2 years after the release of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Bandai Namco released another title under this series which is Tekken 6. Tekken was released in the arcade in 2007 and was updated in the year 2008 under the title Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion.
This was not the only change it was the first time released for multi-platforms like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. And the sales for this Tekken 6 went around 3.5 Million.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
After Tekken 6 Bandai Namco released their second non-canon series which was Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Which is similar to Tekken Tag Tournament but you can say a better version.
It was released in a Japanese arcade in the year 2011. For the console, it was released in 2012. Which is based on the updated version of the arcade version. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 sale numbers were approx. 1.5 Millions.
Tekken 7
And after 3 years their latest version which is still active was released which is Tekken 7. Tekken 7 was launched in 2015 in both Japan and Korea. And soon it received an update subtitled Fated Retribution and was released in 2016.
In this update, 5 guest characters were introduced which were Akuma from Street Fighter( Franchised By Capcom), Geese Howard from SNK’s fighting game franchises, Negan Smith from The Walking Dead franchise, and Noctis Lucis Caelum from the Final Fantasy franchise by Square Enix. The sale number for Tekken 7 was recorded as 9 million.
Tekken 8
And now after 7 years, Bandai Namco has made an announcement about Tekken 8. And a teaser for this new cannon series was shown during Tekken 7’s tournament at EVO 2022.
Tekken 8 is set for release on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam. Well, I’m very much excited about this game. Are you? If you haven’t watched the trail till now then check out the video down below.
Spin-off and crossover games
There were many spin-off games and cross-over games released. Tekken 3 was also ported to the Game Boy Advance as Tekken Advance in the year 2001. On Nintendo 3DS in 2012 Tekken 6-based Tekken 3D: Prime Edition was released. Tekken Revolution was released which a free-to-play version of Tekken and was released for PSN in the year 2013.
In 1999, A card game was released under the name Tekken Card Challenge, this was exclusive for Japan handheld and was released on WonderSwan. A Spin-of-Game called Death by Degrees, released for the PS2 in 2005 featured Nina Williams as the protagonist.
Anime series
Recently in the year 2022, an anime television series was released on Netflix under the title Tekken: Bloodline.
Animated films
Other animated films were also made-
- Tekken: The Motion Picture, is a two-part OVA anime series.
- Tekken: Blood Vengeance.
Live-action films-
Tekken is a live-action film directed by Dwight Little
Other media
Tekken also has its print adaptation which are-
- Knightstone Comics published both Tekken Saga
- Tekken 2, was released on October 19977 and September 1998 respectively.
Current Senerio Of Tekken Esports
To track Tekken’s esports tournaments of Tekken you have to go way back to when it was released. As it has its root deep down in history. It is hard to predict when actually its esports begin. As Tekken community, their early days used to compete and host tournaments among themselves.
And the record which I was able to find was of the year 1998 and here is its price money.
Esports Stats For 1998
- Total Prize Money- $132,000.00
- Total Tournaments- 10
- Total Active Players- 37
- Mean Tournament Prize Pool- $13,200.00
Tekken tournaments with the highest peak
Most viewed Tekken tournaments:
- EVO 2022 Tekken
- EVO 2019
- EVO 2018
- Tekken World Tour Finals 2019
- Combo Breaker 2022 Tekken 7
Top 3 biggest Tekken tournaments:
- Tekken World Tour Finals 2019
- Tekken World Tour Finals 2017
- WePlay Ultimate Fighting League Season 1
Future Of Tekken Esports (My Prediction)
Here is what I think about Tekken and its Esports scenario. Based on my fan version I think it will keep on growing and with the arrival of Tekken 8, its fame will only grow as I have high expectations from Tekken 8.
Now let’s talk in numbers and what they say about the future of Tekken and Tekken Esports. The Tekken franchise has sold over 53.5 million units of games and the majority of them are exclusive to the PlayStation series. Tekken 7 has suppressed its previous best sale of Tekken 3. Sales of Tekken 3 stood at 8.5 million and Tekken 7 broke it and set a new record of 9 Million as per the number of June 2022.
And This brings me to the conclusion that Tekken will keep on growing through its esports and fan base is not as large as some other games out there it is still going to be one of the best games out there and ultimately its esports community will keep on growing.
Current Top Players In Tekken Esports
Top Players of 2022 for Tekken 7
- Arslan Ash Arslan Siddique
- Knee Bae, Jae Min
- Anakin Hoa Luu
- Khan Imran Khan
- Gen Genki, Kumisaka
- Binchang Moon, Changbin
- JoKa – –
- Book Nopparut Hempamorn
- Meo-Il -, –
Top Players of 2021 for Tekken 7
- Knee Bae, Jae Min
- Gen Genki, Kumisaka
- Arslan Ash Arslan Siddique
- JDCR Kim, Hyun Jin
- Chanel Kang, Seong Ho
- Awais Honey Awais Parvez
- Book Nopparut Hempamorn
- France SuperAkouma Vincent Homan
- Saint Choi, Jin Woo
- Chikurin Take, Yuta
Top Players of 2020 for Tekken 7-
- Knee Bae, Jae Min
- Ulsan Lim, Soo-hoon
- LowHigh Yoon, Sun Woong
- Ao Akihiro, Abe
- Gen Genki, Kumisaka
- JDCR Kim, Hyun Jin
- Book Nopparut Hempamorn
- Meo-Il -, –
- JEOndding Jeon, Sang Hyun
- Mikio – –
Top Players of 2019 for Tekken 7
- Chikurin Take, Yuta
- Knee Bae, Jae Min
- Ulsan Lim, Soo-hoon
- Qudans Byeong, Mun Son
- Arslan Ash Arslan Siddique
- Anakin Hoa Luu
- Chanel Kang, Seong Ho
- Double Shoji Takakubo
- NOBI Daichi, Nakayama
- Take Abe, Takehiko
Top Players of 2018 for Tekken 7
- Knee Bae, Jae Min
- NOBI Daichi, Nakayama
- Qudans Byeong, Mun Son
- LowHigh Yoon, Sun Woong
- Jimmyjtran Jimmy Tran
- JEOndding Jeon, Sang Hyun
- Cuddle Core Jeannail Carter
- Take Abe, Takehiko
- Arslan Ash Arslan Siddique
- KoDee Cody Dinkins
Winners Of All Tekken Tournaments To Date
[wptb id=5252]
Earning Of Tekken Players Top 10
[wptb id=5251]
Now let’s take a look at the top 10 players with the highest earnings in Tekken. Firstly place is Tekken by 2-time champion Knee(Bae Jae Min) from the Republic of Korea with an earning of $214,180.73. Second place is taken by Qudans ( Byeong Mun Son) from the Republic of Korea with an earning of $113,465.01.
Third place is taken by JDCR(Kim Hyun Jin) who has earned a sum of $107,969.20 he is also from the Republic of Korea. In fourth place, we have Chikurin( Take Yuta) who is from Japan and has earned a total of $104,891.34.
Next up is NOBI(Daichi Nakayama) also from Japan and he has earned a total of $99,542.71. The next person is the only non- southeast Asian his name is Arslan Ash( Arslan Siddique) he is from Pakistan and he has earned a total of $93,720.49 to date.
In the 7th position we have Ulsan(Lim, Soo-hoon) also from the Republic of Korea and he has earned a total of $79,933.85. Following him is Anakin(Hoa Luu) from the USA and he has earned a total of $69,540.63.
In the 9th position, we have Chane(Kang, Seong Ho) also from the Republic of Korea and he has earned a total of $65,629.87. And lastly, we have LowHigh(Sun Woong Yoon) who has earned $59,891.11.
Top 10 Tournament Winning prize-
[wptb id=5250]
Now let’s take a look at the top 10 Tekken tournaments with the highest winning prize. First place is taken by TWT Finals 2019- $250,000.00, second place is taken by TRUGAMING Invitational- Tekken 7- $110,000.00, the third position is taken by ELEAGUE Tekken Team Takedown- $100,000.00, which is followed by Tekken World Tour Finals- $50,000.00, 5th position is taken by WUFL Season 1 – Tekken 7-$50,000.00, on 6th is The King of Iron Fist Tournament 2015- $41,334.27, 7th position is taken by OSL Futures: Tekken 7- $35,425.44, 8th position is taken by Evo 2015 (Tekken 7)- $34,580.00, the ninth position is taken by TOKAIGI 2018 TEKKEN 7 Royal Championship- $31,500.00, and finally, 10th position is taken by Evo 2017 (Tekken 7)- $27,860.00.
And with this, I would like to conclude this Blog. Let me know what you think about the Tekken game and its Esports. Hope you liked this blog and if you did then leave a comment this motivates me to bring these types of content more and more.
Until then you guys can check out other content on my website-
Skeleton Knight In Another World Review
Here is the source from the data that has been collected for this Blog-
Player Earning EsportsEarning.com
Price Pool Data eschart.com
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