Ulsan Defends Tekken 8 Crown as Esports World Cup 2025 Sets Viewership Records

Ulsan, Tekken 8 world cup champion.

Week 6 of the Esports World Cup 2025 brought some unforgettable moments, and none stood out more than the Tekken 8 championship. Held from August 13 to 16 at Boulevard Riyadh City in Saudi Arabia, the tournament not only crowned a familiar champion but also broke records to become one of the most-watched Tekken events in history.

The four-day competition gathered 32 of the world’s best Tekken players, battling for a prize pool of $1 million and valuable Club Championship points.

South Korea’s Lim “Ulsan” Soo-hoon once again proved why he is a force in the Tekken community. By defeating compatriot Yoon “LowHigh” Sun-woong in the grand final with a convincing 5-2 scoreline, Ulsan became just the second competitor in history to win back-to-back titles at the Esports World Cup.

His victory not only reaffirmed his dominance but also pushed him into the record books as the highest-earning Tekken player of all time, with career earnings now sitting at approximately $445,391.

This wasn’t just a personal achievement either. The result gave his team, DN Freecs, a huge morale boost as they climbed to 11th place in the Club Championship standings with 1,200 points. For DN Freecs, Ulsan’s victory marked their only title win at EWC 2025, making it all the more special.

South Korea Dominates the Podium

If one thing became clear, it’s that South Korea’s Tekken scene remains unmatched. Six of the eight finalists came from the country, and all three podium spots were claimed by Korean players. LowHigh, despite falling short in the finals, had one of his strongest performances in recent years, while others like Jeon “JeonDDing” Sang-hyun contributed crucial points for their teams.

Meanwhile, big names such as Arslan “ArslanAsh” Siddique and Bae “Knee” Jae-min, both legends of the game, suffered early exits. ArslanAsh bowed out in the second phase after losing to Ulsan in a decisive elimination match, while Knee was eliminated by JeonDDing.

Record-Breaking Viewership

Beyond the gameplay, the numbers told another story. The Tekken 8 event set a new record for the franchise in esports viewership, with 1.35 million total hours watched (HW) — nearly double last year’s tally.

According to Esports Charts data, the peak came during the Group D clash between Mulgold and Atif “ATIF” Ijaz, which hit 89,728 peak viewers. Interestingly, the grand final between Ulsan and LowHigh was the third most-watched match, but still crossed the 80,000-viewer mark.

This surge was largely fueled by Korean and Japanese audiences. Reports show that Korean-language viewership jumped by a massive 339% compared to last year, while Japanese audiences increased by 44%. With four of the semifinal matches featuring only Korean players, it’s no surprise that local fanbases turned out in huge numbers.