The KOF XV action is only just beginning.

After a full day of combos galore, Ruben "PAKO" Partida finished in first place at the SNK World Championship 2023 Last Chance Qualifier (SWC 2023 LCQ) event! This earned him a spot in the highly-anticipated SWC 2023 Grand Final. Read on for the results and Grand Final details!

PAKO wins SWC LCQ 2023

Throughout March 15, PAKO duked it out against several competitors at the AVALON Hollywood venue in Los Angeles, CA. His goal? A coveted spot in the SWC 2023 Grand Final that will start on March 16 and conclude with a champion on March 17!

SNK World Championship 2023 Last Chance Qualifier results (Image via start.gg)
SNK World Championship 2023 Last Chance Qualifier results (Image via start.gg)

PAKO kicked off the King of Fighters XV (KOF XV) action in one of the eight pools. After sweeping a couple of players 2-0, he advanced to the top 32 where he went 2-1 and 2-0. PAKO then quickly rose to the top eight where competition only got tougher. However, he prevailed, defeating Yurikov 2-0 before going 3-1 against Wero Asamiya in the upper bracket.

Next, PAKO faced Score, who was quite the sensation throughout the LCQ event. Score had printed out a photo of his own face to commemorate his victories, which the audience cheered for every time he claimed another win.

Despite PAKO besting Score 3-0, the latter player climbed his way back to the top again. Score defeated Wero Asamiya in the elimination bracket before facing PAKO in a revenge match!

PAKO versus Score in the SWC 2023 LCQ (Image via SNK)
PAKO versus Score in the SWC 2023 LCQ (Image via SNK)

When it came down to this one, PAKO first duked it out with Orochi Yashiro, Chizuru, and Heidern before choosing Duo Lon, Heidern, Chizuru. Both players were relentless in their gameplay, keeping each other in corners and giving no outs whenever possible. However, PAKO came out on top with Chizuru!

PAKO secures the gold (Image via SNK)
PAKO secures the gold (Image via SNK)

SWC 2023 Grand Final players

Since PAKO and Score became the top players in the SWC 2023 LCQ event, they both advanced to the SWC 2023 Grand Final. Between March 15 and 16, a total of 32 players from across the globe will battle it out to become the best KOF XV player in the world. While PAKO will face Seis mx on March 15, Score will go up against ZJZ.

SWC 2023 Grand Final Day 1 players (Image via SNK)
SWC 2023 Grand Final Day 1 players (Image via SNK)

Additionally, the bulk of the $175,000 prize pool will be at stake! You can check out everything you need to know about this prize distribution and more in our dedicated guide.

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more news and updates across the global fighting game community (FGC)!