Falcon | ATIF: “TEKKEN 8 is all about the matchup game”

Pakistan is one of the strongest regions in competitive TEKKEN. It gained this power thanks to Arslan Ash who made the game super popular in his country. And also, thanks to other talented players who continued this tradition with many international successes — such as ATIF, one of the best TEKKEN players of all time.

In 2022, ATIF won the TEKKEN World Tour Finals, and this exceptional achievement is one of quite a few tier-1 top placements for the player. In 2024, ATIF made his statement within the newest game, TEKKEN 8, by winning the CEO 2024 tournament. We at esports.gg used this victory as an opportunity to reach out to ATIF and ask him a few questions.

esports.gg: This success at CEO 2024 is the first tier 1 victory for you in TEKKEN 8. How do you feel about this? Did you expect such a result?

ATIF: "To be really honest, winning CEO is itself a big achievement for me in TEKKEN 8. As you know, the game came out recently. I was doubting and questioning my ability in it. But, it went all smoothly. I'm very happy with the UNEXPECTED result!"

You have been playing Dragunov recently. What do you like about this character? Do you have other TEKKEN fighters in your counter-pick arsenal?

ATIF: "Dragunov is such a strong character in TEKKEN 8. Also, I have been playing the character since the game came out. In a short little time of practice (because I had fallen sick for about 3 months and left the game behind), playing Dragunov at CEO was my [only] option, because I hadn't touched any other characters or got to play any tournaments in Pakistan in order to try new characters and [get] experience! Yes, I am trying many other characters as well in order to get an in-depth study of the game!"

Is there a character matchup you really don’t like in the current meta? Is it difficult to play against opponents who often switch between characters, such as Doujin?

ATIF: "Doujin is a talented player. The way he played various characters in the tournament was really impressive! TEKKEN 8 is all about the matchup game. If you are lucky to get a good match against your opponent, there is a high chance of winning the set! For now, it's too early to decide that one particularly bad matchup, though — until I play some of the great Korean, Japanese, and International players!"

In the CEO 2024 top 8 brackets, you played against KEISUKE twice, and the grand final was much closer. Is this because of the opponent’s adaptation? Or is it the final match pressure?

ATIF: "I believe playing Kazuya in a super stacked tournament like CEO is not everyone's cup of tea. Shoutout to the KEISUKE for showing us the greatest Kazuya we could ever see in an event. He really adapted to my Dragunov in no time. But, I got lucky when he dropped the combos, and it benefited me a lot. I could be due to the grand final pressure, so he missed a lot!"

How do you generally handle the tournament pressure? Do you do some special preparation before the top-level events?

ATIF: "The experience is all you need to handle the pressure. Before traveling to various international events, I used to get choked under pressure and couldn't perform well. But now, I'm pretty calm and active. What I tell myself is to "enjoy the time I'm investing in, whether it's performing at an event, training offline, or traveling”."

You earned some amazing achievements in TEKKEN, including the World Tour victory. Why did you choose this game back then? What makes TEKKEN special for you?

ATIF: "TEKKEN holds a special place in my heart! I got to know so many people who became an important part of my life, including my soulmate and friends. I used to play this game on a part-time basis, but I never, in the wildest thought, could imagine that one day I would achieve so much from it! Alhamdulillah! I chose it as a profession because I won the very first tournament I participated in, so people around me encouraged me a lot to play TEKKEN professionally!"

Are you looking forward to the Esports World Cup 2024? Who do you consider your main opponent there?

ATIF: "I'm really excited about the EWC, and getting the qualification to the EWC was even more important for me. I think players who are qualified for the EWC are going to give me a tough time, though. Because players are really adapting and working hard for it!"

Will we be able to see you playing at other Tekken World Tour events?

ATIF: "Yes! Including Evo and some other majors! I will give my 100% to qualify for the TWT as well! I have been qualified for the TWT for the past 2 years, including the time I won the champion title!"

Evo 2024 takes place between July 19 and 21. It's super interesting to follow ATIF at this event as well as at the Esports World Cup 2024, from August 22 to 25. For everything interesting about competitive TEKKEN 8, stick around on esports.gg!