Bandai Namco Esports made an unprecedented decision to disqualify player XCC from the Thaigar Uppercut 2024 Tekken 8 tournament this weekend in Bangkok, Thailand. XCC started in 68th place and rose to 9th in one of the best majors of the year. XCC was set to compete against Farzeen but was double disqualified. Top-tier talent from all over the world competed at Thaigar Uppercut. The tournament was to be the last event that counted toward the Tekken 8 World Tour Grand Finals in December. At 18 years old, XCC has shown great promise at a Masters event. This was XCC’s second major since his 1st place win at Bric’s Tekken 7 tournament in 2023.
If you had told that little boy that six years later, he wouldn’t be able to compete in a tournament for the game he loved at a professional level, you can imagine the reaction. This sentiment was echoed in a tweet yesterday by pro gamer PrinceHopKick.
This is a clip about the Chinese player XCC being interviewed by a TV station in 2018. He was only 12 years old at that time, and he got the support of his parents and friends! I want to say that he is very talented and works hard! he is the future of Chinese Tekken! 🇨🇳💪 pic.twitter.com/Tgr4Zb8bc1
— GTM丨PrinceHopKick. (@PrinceHopKick92) October 6, 2024
Unfortunately, XCC currently resides in China, which is not included in the regions eligible for the Tekken World Tour (TWT). According to the rules, accepted regions are as follows: North America, Central America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, West Africa, South Africa, North and East Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Korea, and Japan. Team Essence, which sponsors XCC, may not have been aware that Chinese players are prohibited from entering based on these rules, nor may XCC have been aware.
Bandai Namco Esports released a statement regarding the situation without explicitly mentioning XCC.
— Bandai Namco Esports (@BNEesports) October 6, 2024
XCC released a statement to his fans in terms of the matter, showing support for his community.
My first international event @TGUteam
Thank you to all my supporters and Chinese Tekken family. Thank you @Deeon_Grey and @TeamEssenceEZR for sponsoring me.
I am proud to be Chinese 🇨🇳 and continue practise regardless of my results! #TEKKEN8 @Harada_TEKKEN pic.twitter.com/4moW4F98p1— Essence_x c c (@tk_xiaochenchen) October 6, 2024
The community took to Twitter to show disgust over the subject.
Another huge L by @TEKKEN @tk_xiaochenchen got TOP 8 a massive accomplishment at a massive tournament.
Compensate this man for his time, money and effort.
" I hope you understand." Distasteful and disconnected.
Hoping someone losses so you don't have to DQ is scummy.… pic.twitter.com/S9rBo2O1PA
— 𝕂ing 👑 Awk | Deserved.| (@ThatzAwkwrd) October 6, 2024
THIS.
This is NOT how you do things.
Between the DLC shit and now this, really shitty of y’all. https://t.co/5dooIzc0qi
— EmeryReigns (@EmeryReigns) October 6, 2024
Waiting until a player reaches this level raises many questions about what may have been overlooked during the registration period, especially for an event considered the last of the season at this level of competition. Some matches here are regarded as the best the community has seen all year.
Bandai Namco and Tekken 8 have made several controversial decisions recently, leading to community unrest. This includes the Heihachi stage being released as paid DLC last week, as well as Producer Katsuhiro Harada’s tweet addressing concerns about this type of monetization, which disappeared from Twitter not long after it was posted.
