Lyonidas’s Tekken EU Cup Quest for Points

What were you up to in the 8 days from the 11th of January until the 19th? Working the week and then relaxing in the weekend? That would have been the expected answer if your name is not Lyon Buhagiar, Malta’s primary globetrotter when it comes to Fighting Games. You see, he attended two foreign events in the space of a week, one in Italy and one in France, on the hunt to secure Tekken EU Cup points and qualify for the finals due to take place in February 2025.

After getting 2nd in a very hard fought finals at a local charity event, courtesy of Level Academy and Tekken City Malta, Lyonidas wanted to ascertain himself on the european stage as well. The first challenge was the Italian Major Invictus, a tournament taking place in Borgaro Torinese, a municipality close to Turin. The tournament was a one-day affair, taking place on Saturday. Lyonidas was prepared, and having a seed of 9th was very encouraging and also a solid proof of how well thought of the Maltese is overseas.

Unfortunately it was not meant to be for our hero, as after two wins early on, he was defeated by Italian up and comer Becienzo, a strong Kuma player who also made Top8. In losers bracket, Lyonidas was then defeated by Quack, who then went on to make 9th and defeated only by the bracket winner JoKa. One cannot really be angry with this performance since the losses came to very strong opponents, but Lyonidas’ fighting spirit does not let him enjoy the positives of this journey. Lyon was also not in the best shape physically as he was also struggling with illness and fatigue. Back in Malta, Lyonidas started then preparing for his second journey to Paris on the 17th.

Galaxian Explosion: Dark Resurrection II is a french event taking place in Paris, France and was another major of the Tekken EU Cup. Taking place over two days, pools up to top16 would be happening on day 1, Saturday, and the final top16 would be on Sunday. Naturally, Lyonidas did have his sights set on making day 2, although his seed of 30 did not see him progress through to the finals. Regardless, Lyon aimed high, and went into the tournament with confidence.

Two quick wins off the bat saw Lyon one win away from making Top32 on the winner’s side, but his next opponent was Dutch starlet Sin, the revelation of 2024 on the Yoshimitsu who looks to continue on his streak of great performances. Sin defeated Lyon, who still had only one win left to make it in Top32. Unfortunately, Lyonidas suffered a second defeat in a row, this time at the hands of Nigno, and was eliminated from the event one step away from the next phase.

These two results, while definitely not enough to boost Lyonidas’ confidence, are still a good indication of where the Maltese lies within Europe, consistent top20 finishes in even the most stacked events. Lyon is still looking for his breakout performance in Tekken 8 after his crazy 7th place run at The MixUp in 2022, but with his determination and work ethic, there is no doubt that this will not be a matter of if, but when.