S8UL has once again underlined its dominance in competitive Pokémon UNITE by winning the India Qualifier of the Pokémon UNITE World Championship Series 2026. With this victory, the team will represent India at the Pokémon UNITE World Championships 2026 in San Francisco, where top teams from around the world will compete for a prize pool of USD 500,000 (approximately INR 4.7 crore) from August 28 to 30.
According to a press release, this marks the fourth time S8UL will represent India at the global tournament—the highest by any Indian team so far. Notably, the organisation has now won four out of the five Indian qualifiers held for the event, highlighting a level of consistency and control that has defined its run in the title.
The India Qualifier followed a double-elimination format, with all matches played as best-of-three series except the grand finals, which were a best-of-five contest. Led by captain Manmohan Singh, popularly known as All Might, the S8UL lineup featuring Anklesh Satelkar (Novaa), Darshan Nate (Kai), Naitik Jain (Wolf), and Md Sarim Hasan (Qing) delivered a composed and commanding performance throughout the tournament.
S8UL began their campaign with a clean 2-0 win over Anti Secure in the upper bracket quarterfinals. The team carried that momentum forward, defeating GodLike and Team QML by identical 2-0 margins in the semifinals and upper bracket final. The grand final against Revenant XSpark proved to be a far tighter contest, stretching to five games. Drawing on experience and composure, S8UL edged past their opponents 3-2 to secure the title and the top prize of USD 15,000 (around INR 14.1 lakh) from the total prize pool of USD 25,000.
Reacting to the win, captain Manmohan Singh said each qualifier brings new pressure as the level of competition continues to rise, with teams arriving better prepared each time. He noted that S8UL’s focus remained on discipline, communication and adaptability, adding that qualifying again for the World Championships is both an achievement and an opportunity to showcase the growth of India’s Pokémon UNITE ecosystem on the global stage.
The latest victory adds to S8UL’s strong run across multiple esports titles this year. The organisation’s BGMI roster recently won the BGMI India Series (BGIS) 2026, while its MOBA Legends 5v5 team secured the Rai Star x Gyan Gaming Cup. In chess, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin delivered an international win at the Menorca Open, and the VALORANT roster clinched the VCSA Split 1. The Honor of Kings team also lifted the Kings Arise India City Tour – Mumbai title, while the Apex Legends squad recorded a top-five finish at the ALGS 2026 Championship—an unprecedented result for an Indian organisation in the title.
Commenting on the team’s consistency, Naman Mathur, Co-founder of S8UL, said the roster has built a culture where success is sustained rather than occasional. He added that representing India on the global stage comes with responsibility, and the team carries the aspirations of a growing community of esports fans.
S8UL’s global ambitions continue to expand beyond Pokémon UNITE. The organisation has once again been selected as a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation for the Esports World Cup 2026, placing it among 40 leading global organisations. It is expected to compete across 13 titles, including Apex Legends, BGMI, Call of Duty: Warzone, EA Sports FC, Fortnite, Street Fighter 6 and TEKKEN 8, among others.
With another international qualification secured, S8UL continues to strengthen its position as one of India’s most decorated esports organisations, adding yet another milestone to its growing presence on the global stage.
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