SOOP is kicking off the Tekken pro league '2026 STL Season 1' starting on the 31st. Run by SOOP, this tournament stands as one of the major Tekken esports events for the first half of 2026. Bandai Namco Entertainment Korea continues its official sponsorship from last year, providing league management and comprehensive support.

The tournament runs for roughly three weeks, from March 31 to April 18. Online qualifiers take place from the 1st to the 5th day, while the 6th day features the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) where eliminated players battle once more to lock in their main stage spots. Following this, the Top 8 and the finals unfold offline. The total prize pool sits at 24 million won, with 10 million won awarded to the champion.

A heavy lineup of local pro players is diving into this season, including DRX's 'Lowhigh' Yoon Sun-woong and 'Knee' Bae Jae-min, DNS's 'Ulsan' Soo-hoon Lim, and Gen.G's 'Mulgold' Han Jae-gyun, all of whom boast championship titles and top finishes in international tournaments. Given that this marks the very first major league since the launch of Season 3 for 'Tekken 8', attention is locked on what strategies and plays the competitors will bring to the table under the fresh balance changes.

Every single match of the tournament will be broadcast live online via SOOP. Detailed schedules and further information can be checked out on the official SOOP Tekken broadcasting station STL website.