Care Esports hosted a Tekken 8 competition in Japan, allowing elderly citizens to compete head-to-head in a tournament setting.
The age of competitors ranged from 67 all the way up to 93, with a nearly three-hour-long livestream published on the official Care Esports channel.
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Care Esports hosts two events every year for elderly residents in care homes across Japan. The organisation currently operates in three prefectures, Mie, Gifu and Aichi, though the organisation states on its website that it aims to hold a national tournament. It features a variety of games for competitions, but Tekken 8 has quickly become a favourite since its launch last year.
The event itself was outfitted with everything you would associate with a traditional esports tournament, from casters commentating throughout matches, to bracket formats and more, all in an online setting.
Eight players competed in Care Esports’ Tekken 8 event. After various matches, the tournament entered its Grand Final, which saw two 73-year-olds go head to head. Yoshie Murabe and Sadayuki Kato, playing Panda and King respectively, clashed in an intense best-of-three showdown, and Yoshie was declared the winner with a 2-1 victory.
Yoshie was able to claim the first game with a decisive 3-1 win. Sadayuki levelled the score after winning the next match 3-1. Despite Sadayuki gaining an early two-point lead in the third game, Yoshie earned a comeback victory, winning 3-2 against the King player.
In rough translations of post-match interviews, Sadayuki joked about how he was ‘sweating’ during the Grand Final, and Yoshie was ‘thankful’ for the experience.
While gameplay didn’t quite reach the same skill level seen in the competitive scene, the tournament showcases that gaming and esports can be for anyone.
The Care Esports tournament is one of many competitions centering around the iconic fighting game this summer. Other upcoming events include the Evolution Championship Series 2025, which in itself offers qualifier spots for Tekken 8’s event during the Esports World Cup on August 13th to 16th, 2025.
Source: https://esportsinsider.com/
