The TEKKEN 8 Last Chance Qualifier for the Esports World Cup 2026 is taking place in Paris from July 31 to August 2. More than 400 registered participants are fighting for the four final slots in the main stage of the $1 million tournament.
The competition is split into several stages. Tournament schedule in Kyiv time:
- July 31, 11:40 — Group Stage (Pools, four waves);
- August 1,15:00 — Top 64/32 stage;
- August 1, 17:00 — Top 16 stage;
- August 2, 15:00 — Top 8 final stage.
All matches can be watched via live stream on the official EWC YouTube channel.
In the first stage, players are divided into four pools from which they will battle to reach the Top 64 bracket. The most crucial matches for the four EWC slots will unfold in the Top 16 and Top 8 stages.
Notable contenders competing in the LCQ include:
- Jonathan “Tibetano” Medina — winner of The MIXUP 2025;
- Raef “Raef” Alturkistani — TWT 2024 Finals medalist;
- Rey Matthew “KingReyJr” Escanio — Top 4 finisher at Evo France 2025;
- Kim “Kkokkoma” Mu-jong — Top 4 finisher at DreamHack Atlanta 2026;
- Choi “Saint” Jin-woo — Evo 2016 champion and Texas Showdown 2026 runner-up;
- Kang “Chanel” Seong-ho — Evo Japan 2024 bronze medalist;
- Bilal “Bilal” Ilyas — representative of the Pakistani TEKKEN scene.
Last Chance Qualifiers traditionally stand out for bold and unexpected character picks. Against the backdrop of recent balance patches and the anticipated release of Bob, players are actively utilizing Kunimitsu (with whom Arslan Ash won Evo Las Vegas 2026), Bryan (with whom Knee won VSFighting XIV and LowHigh placed 3rd at Evo 2026), as well as Fahkumram, whom Rangchu switched to. Additionally, appearances by Feng, Victor, Claudio, Azucena, and Yoshimitsu are expected.
The main TEKKEN 8 tournament at the Esports World Cup 2026 will run from August 4 to August 7. The fighting game lineup at EWC 2026 also features Street Fighter 6 and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves.
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