One of the biggest Esports fighting events known as EVO is coming to Japan this April. EVO Japan 2024 will feature some of the biggest fighting games including the debut of Tekken 8. Here's everything you need to know.

Tekken 8 EVO Japan 2024: Event Details and Notable Players

EVO Japan 2024 will commence on April 27, 2024. The event will run a total of three days having its conclusion by April 29, 2024. The stage is set for Tekken 8 players with over 1,000 sign-ups. Bandai Namco's latest fighting game alone has an impressive prize pool worth nearly $13,000.

While EVO is one of the most competitive Esports fighting tournaments in the globe, this event will simply be a platform for Tekken 8 players to further hone their craft. Once EVO Japan 2024 concludes, Tekken players will then prepare for the Tekken World Tour 2024. The winner of this year's EVO will benefit from a head start at this year's Tekken circuit.

Despite EVO featuring other fighting game giants like Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1, Tekken 8 is the game everyone is watching out for. Bandai Namco made a plethora of changes to the game's mechanics. While the majority of the core gameplay mechanics remain, there are several new ways for players to hit combos and finish their opponents.

Having that said, Tekken's competitive scene might slightly change due to the difference in gameplay between the franchise's seventh and eighth installments.

Notable Tekken Players to Watch

Even with over a thousand players signed up for EVO's Tekken 8 event, there are a select few among them that are sure to stand out. These players are namely, AO, Nobi, and PINYA.

AO

Akihiro “AO” Abe is a Japanese fighting game pro known for his work as a Tekken pro player. Throughout his Tekken career, AO would consistently rank among the top eight in tournaments. He made a grand finals appearance back in EVO 2015 where he faced off against the tournament champion Nobi.

Last year, AO ranked fifth-sixth in the Tekken World Tour Finals 2023. He has several wins under his belt, most recently reigning triumphant in the TZCUP TWT 2023 DOJO #5 and ICFC Championship 2023.

Nobi

Daichi “Nobi” Nakayama is also a Japanese fighting game pro who only plays Tekken games competitively. Back in his first major career tournament, he won the World Cyber Games 2011 with a prize pool of $10,000. Since then he became a force to be reckoned with in the competitive scene.

He's a former EVO champion who took the Tekken 7 competitive scene by storm in 2015. He followed his EVO championship win with another major victory at The King of Iron Fist Tournament 2015. Over the years, he garnered victorious performances in a plethora of cups, dojos, and regional tournaments.

PINYA

Among the two fan-favorite players to win the tournament, PINYA is the youngest among them. PINYA is a Japanese fighting game pro who first started his Tekken career in 2021. He has a couple of notable wins under his belt, winning the ICFC Asia Season 1 – Finals in 2021 and the Corsair Battle Tournament in 2022.

Given how he's somewhat new in the scene, Tekken 8 might be his big break. Being a modern player means that he could easily adapt to the game's more modern style of play.

While these three are some of the notable names to win EVO Japan 2024, we shouldn't sleep on other players who could break out in the tournament.

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