Tekken Esports Shock: Arslan Ash Sanctioned by IESF for Doping

The world of fighting game esports, particularly Tekken, has been rocked by unexpected news: Pakistani Tekken legend Arslan Ash has been officially sanctioned by the International Esports Federation (IESF). According to a statement released on the IESF’s official website, Arslan Ash has received a nearly three-year suspension after testing positive for banned substances.

⚠️ Doping Violation Confirmed by IESF

The IESF imposed the suspension on Arslan Ash following the results of a doping test conducted in 2022, which revealed traces of multiple anabolic steroids in his system. The test found substances including:

• 19-norandrosterone

• 19-noretiocholanolone

• Stanozolol metabolites

• Metandienone metabolites

These are all classified as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and are widely banned in competitive sports due to their performance-enhancing effects—although their impact in esports is highly debatable.

⏳ Delayed Announcement Raises Eyebrows

The announcement by IESF has drawn skepticism due to the time gap between the test, the ruling, and the public disclosure.

To put things in context:

• The doping test was conducted in April 2022 during the IESF World Esports Championship (WEC) in Bali.

• The results came out in December 2022, confirming Arslan’s violation.

• The ban retroactively covers the period from April 2022 to April 2025.

• All of Arslan’s results from WEC 2022 and any IESF events during that time have been annulled.

Ironically, this means Arslan Ash is technically free to return to IESF events now, as the suspension period has concluded at the time of writing.

💊 Controversy Over the Type of Substances Detected

One major point of contention is that the doping test applied to Arslan follows the standards set by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), which are typically used for physical sports, not esports.

The substances detected—steroids commonly used by bodybuilders to increase muscle mass and strength—do not enhance cognitive skills such as reaction speed, focus, decision-making, or hand-eye coordination, which are critical in esports.

In fact, these steroids could potentially harm esports performance due to side effects such as anxiety, mood swings, and insomnia.

Conversely, performance-enhancing substances relevant to esports, such as Adderall or Modafinil, are known to improve focus and reflexes—yet these often escape scrutiny in the esports doping landscape.

🗣️ Arslan Ash Responds to IESF Sanction

In an interview with ProPakistani, Arslan Ash clarified that the steroids were taken purely for fitness purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when offline tournaments were on pause worldwide. He stated:

“I had no idea these substances were banned in esports. I never used them to gain an in-game advantage.

Once I understood the risks and anti-doping rules, I immediately stopped using them.”

🎮 What This Means for Tekken and the FGC

This incident marks a rare case of a doping sanction in the Fighting Game Community (FGC) and has sparked discussions about the relevance and fairness of traditional anti-doping protocols in esports.

While Arslan Ash's sanction has officially ended, the incident may push organizations like IESF to re-evaluate testing criteria and provide better education and communication regarding banned substances in the esports ecosystem.

For more updates on the Tekken competitive scene and esports developments in the FGC, be sure to follow the latest news on Dunia Games.