Filipino Tekken sensation Alexandre “AK” Laverez showcased an impressive effort at the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) for the Tekken World Tour Finals in Tokyo, Japan, finishing in fourth place over the weekend.
Laverez entered the main tournament as one of the top 20 players on the tour leaderboard, ranked sixth overall. He was placed in Group C alongside a competitive lineup: Saudi Arabia’s Raef “Raef” Alturkistani, South Korea’s Yoon “LowHigh” Sun-woong, Japan’s Shoji “double” Takakubo, and former world champion Jeong “Rangchu” Hyeon-ho from South Korea.
In the group stage, Laverez managed a single victory over Alturkistani but fell short of reaching the top 16. This result relegated him to the LCQ, where he faced over 500 players in a battle for a spot in the final round.
In the LCQ, Laverez initially dominated the winner’s bracket but was sent to the lower bracket after a defeat to South Korea’s Lee “EDGE” Ju-hyung. Undeterred, he secured a critical victory against South Korea’s Jeon “Jeondding” Sang-hyun to stay in the competition. However, his run ended with a fourth-place finish following a loss to South Korea’s Han “Mulgold” Jae-gyun.
“Salamat sa dami ng pusong binigay nyo, 4th out of 576 players tayo,” Laverez shared in a heartfelt social media post after his campaign.
Despite this setback, Laverez’s 2024 season has been a milestone year. He claimed his first major international title at Combo Breaker 2024 in May and joined the prestigious esports organization Natus Vincere (NAVI) in June.