Entry into Tekken

Guild Esports PLC (LSE: GILD; OTCQB: GULDF), a global gaming-focused media business, is pleased to announce its entry into the iconic fighting game series, Tekken. The Company has signed Awais Liaqat ("Awais") as its first professional Tekken player.

Awais, who has signed a 12-month contract with Guild, is a seasoned Tekken professional and the first esports player to represent Pakistan at an international level. In a successful career that has spanned over a decade, he has won a number of high-profile tournaments within Pakistan including the Go Line Tekken 7 Tournament, and has placed highly in international tournaments in Korea, Malaysia and the UAE. Guild will support Awais during the qualification process of the upcoming Esports World Cup.

Tekken is a fighting game franchise first released in 1994, with its most recent entry, 'Tekken 8' released earlier this year. It is the third best-selling fighting game franchise of all time, with a significant and growing esports audience. The Tekken World Finals 2023 (hosted in January 2024) had a combined 695,000 hours watched with a peak audience of 70,000 (source: Esports Charts, 2024).

Since the Company's entry into Street Fighter in August 2023, the Company has explored how to further expand its presence in the fighting games genre. Guild's executive team saw the launch of Tekken 8 as the perfect opportunity to enter the Tekken esports ecosystem for the first time and capitalise on the increased media and esports interest following the launch.

Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports, commented: "We have been waiting for the right time to enter Tekken, and with the upcoming Esports World Cup and the launch of Tekken 8, now is the perfect opportunity. It is testament to our esports prestige that we have been able to attract a player of Awais' calibre to Guild, and we look forward to seeing him compete in a Guild jersey."