A Tekken 8 tournament featuring elderly players aged between 60 and 90 has just crowned its winner.
73-year-old Yoshie Murabe, who had no prior gaming experience, won the tournament using the character Panda, a character she chose simply because of her affection for the animal. “I was happy to win,” she said, adding that she picked up the game quickly and is already looking forward to more competitions.
Here is the grand final match.
Organized by the Care eSports Association, the competition brought together residents from various care homes to battle online in one of gaming’s most demanding fighting titles.
According to the association’s spokesperson, Shinpei Hama, who also competes professionally as a member of Rox3Gaming, participants had about a month to train. Some played up to 60 matches a night, determined to win at least once.
Even participants living with dementia found joy in character selection and gameplay. The tournament’s livestream finale, known as the Amigo Club Cup, received widespread praise from game streamers, fans, and even voice actors.
The event is challenging long-held beliefs about aging, cognitive decline, and digital inaccessibility. Hama said the association is now considering more titles like GeoGuessr, which offer lower barriers to entry. However, traditional games like Shogi will remain part of their offerings.
“We’ve realized seniors are better at video games than we assumed,” Hama said. “This isn’t just about fun, it’s about proving what older generations are capable of.”