The Tribune

AFTER advancing to the first round of the playoffs, gamer Johnathon Lucius fell to Peru to end his journey in the International Esports Federation’s (IESF) World Championships this past weekend.

The Tekken 7 player squared off against Peru’s Sergie Mazter on Friday following his wins against Norway and Iraq one weekend prior.

Despite a tough loss, Lucius improved on last year’s performance by advancing to this level at the championships.

Additionally, he helped The Bahamas to be ranked 33rd out of 91 countries for Tekken 7. Although his stint in the competition has now ended, the 25-year-old gamer was grateful for the experience in Iasi, Romania.

“My overall experience for the World Esports Championships this year has been a learning and exciting experience. I got to compete and socialise with other countries and to be able to share ideas and perspectives with them was the best thing about the event because it’s like a big happy family,” Lucius said.

The Bahamas placed fourth in their bracket after the Bahamian gamer dropped 0-2 to Peru.

The latter was represented by Mazter, who finished second in the 2022 Tekken World Tour in the South America Regionals.

Peru’s gamer also won the 2021 Evolution Championship Series (Online).

Lucius credited his opponent for his prowess in the tournament and said Mazter threw a game-changing curveball at him during their match.

“When it came time for the match, I was preparing to go against his best character until he chose an alternative pick that had me change my overall approach to the match,” the gamer said.

He added that the game plan forced him to make a character swap in the match but ultimately it was not enough to get the job done.

Despite not advancing further in the World Esports Championships, the Tekken 7 player remained optimistic about his gaming journey.

“This is not the end for me or The Bahamas in terms of showcasing our skills in Esports to the world. If I can I will show the world that The Bahamas is just as great as any other country,” he said.

With the 2023 World Esports Championship now in the books for Lucius, he will now prepare for the release of Tekken 8 next year.

The game is expected to be released January 26 on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Lucius said the release of the new Tekken game will lead to more opportunities and chances so he wants to simply prepare and see what the future holds.