Tekken pro Arslan Ash responds after IESF sanctions him for “doping” violations

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On June 19, 2025, the International Esports Federation publicly announced that renowned Tekken player, Arslan Ash, was penalized due to the discovery of steroid use.

Initially, the news didn’t create much buzz, but as we moved into early July, it started catching the attention of the broader fighting game community. Many were perplexed by the strange timing of the announcement.

It was asserted by the International Esports Federation (IESF) that Arslan potentially breached the anti-doping regulations at the 2022 World Esports Championship. On December 10 of that year, a test for anabolic steroids reportedly came back positive for him.

In discussion, we found that the prohibited substances included 19-norandrosterone, 19-noretiocholanolone, stanozolol breakdown products, and metandienone breakdown products. These are substances forbidden by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Due to certain circumstances, the International Esports Federation (IESF) has imposed a two-year ban on Arslan starting from April 26, 2023, and ending on April 25, 2025. This means that all his achievements from the 2022 World Esports Championship, such as awards, medals, points, prize money, and titles, have been revoked. This ban also includes any results he gained from events held between December 10, 2022, and April 26, 2023.

Essentially, Arslan’s victories at Evo Japan 2023, Evo Las Vegas 2023 and 2024, along with the 2023 Tekken World Tour Finals in New Orleans didn’t matter or count for much.

In the gaming world, there was surprise when steroids were prohibited in the International e-Sports Federation (IESF), since such substances generally aren’t recognized as improving gaming skills compared to drugs like Adderall, for example.

Arslan Ash sanctions questioned by Esports Integrity Commission

On July 2nd, as reported by the Esports Advocate, the Esports Integrity Commission issued a statement in response to the swift spread of the IESF’s decision.

In their statement, the EIC expressed skepticism about the IESF’s penalties, explicitly explaining they are not required to “endorse, acknowledge, or abide by” the decision. Furthermore, the ESIC pointed out that substances prohibited by WADA do not extend to esports, given its vast differences from conventional sports.

If we don’t have a scientifically sound and specifically designed strategy for combating doping in esports, it’s only a matter of time before the fairness of competition is compromised – as this case shows. The Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC) stands resolute in promoting a fair, evidence-backed anti-doping system, and will persistently advocate for its members to utilize ESIC’s proven approach.

After learning about the EISC’s decision, Arslan explained his stance to ProPakistani, acknowledging that he was previously unaware that steroids are prohibited in esports.

He expressed that he didn’t know the sports gaming drugs were prohibited. He clarified that he never employed them to gain an edge in gaming. Upon learning about their potential hazards and the anti-doping regulations, he ceased using them altogether.

Arslan Ash is recognized as one of the top professional Tekken players in history, having made Pakistan prominent on the competitive scene by securing victories at both Evo Japan and Evo Las Vegas in 2019. Since then, he has added five more Evo championships to his tally and even claimed the title of Tekken World Tour champion in 2023.

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2025-07-02 20:18