Pakistani esports professional Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique, a renowned competitor in fighting games, has been suspended from competition for two years by the International Esports Federation (IESF). This ban also includes the forfeiture of all titles and achievements earned during the specified period.
The official grounds for the suspension is the use of anabolic steroids. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) detected these substances in samples provided by Arslan Ash on December 10, 2022, during the Tekken 7 World Esports Championship 2022. The violation was confirmed six months later, leading to the disqualification officially starting on April 26, 2023, and set to conclude on the same date in 2025. Consequently, Arslan Ash has been stripped of all prize money and awards won from the date the sample was taken until the end of the ban, an amount exceeding $100,000.
Arslan Ash stated that he did not use the substances to gain an advantage in esports and ceased taking them immediately upon learning they were prohibited. The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) also offered support for Siddique, suggesting that WADA`s list of banned substances may not be fully applicable to competitive gaming, as many listed items do not enhance performance in computer games. Furthermore, the IESF has reportedly advised tournament organizers against imposing additional sanctions on Siddique.
Arslan Ash has been a prominent figure in the fighting game community since 2018, achieving significant success, particularly in Tekken. Notably, he won the IESF World Esports Championships 2022 – the same event where the positive doping test occurred. He also claimed victories at major tournaments such as the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) 2023 and the Tekken World Tour Finals 2023.