Bandai Namco Bans Tekken 8 Player for Breaking Rules

Bandai Namco has disqualified a Tekken World Tournament finalist and imposed a one-year ban for competing in the wrong region.

Bandai Namco announced the disqualification of ILIAS, the regional champion for North & East Africa, from the Tekken World Tour Finals 2024. The player, who had initially qualified for the finals, was found to have violated the tournament’s regional participation rules. As a result, ILIAS has been stripped of his title, and the runner-up has been declared the new regional champion.

The company stated that ILIAS’s actions were a breach of the Tekken World Tour 2024 rules and regulations, leading to his disqualification and a ban from all official Bandai Namco Esports competitions for the next year.

This incident follows a recent controversy involving a Chinese Tekken 8 player, Essence|XCC, who was disqualified from the Tekken World Tournament despite achieving a commendable 9th place finish. The disqualification occurred because China was not included in the official list of eligible territories for the Tekken World Tour.

In response to the backlash, Bandai Namco announced plans to update its rules to include China as an eligible region for future competitions.

This change will be implemented starting with the Last Chance Qualifier in Tokyo. Additionally, the company has offered to cover travel and accommodation expenses for affected players, demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity and fairness.