Last Updated:
Pranesh joins fellow Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram, bolstering S8UL’s ranks at the Esports World Cup.
GM Pranesh. (X)
S8UL announced the signing of Indian Chess Grandmaster Pranesh M and finalised its athlete lineup across 12 titles for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. Pranesh joins fellow Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram, further bolstering the squad as the organisation combines established international stars with a strong focus on Indian representation across multiple titles on the global stage.
After making its debut at EWC last year, Chess returns to the prestigious event, where the world’s top players will compete for a $1.5 million prize pool from August 11 to 15. The defending champion has already secured a place, as have two players from the Speed Chess Championship 2025 and one from the Chess.com Open 2026, filling four spots in advance. Nine more players will qualify via the Champions Chess Tour standings, where S8UL’s Nihal currently sits in seventh place and Pranesh in fifteenth, making them the two highest-ranked Indians in contention. Additional qualification routes include DreamHack Atlanta, running from May 15 to 17 and offering four berths, as well as the Last Chance Qualifiers closer to the event, which will decide the final four slots.
Beyond Chess, S8UL will field teams across mobile, PC, console, fighting games, racing, battle royale, and strategy titles, combining its championship-winning existing rosters with newly recruited talent. The organisation aims to leave a significant mark at EWC 2026 in Riyadh, taking place from July 6 to August 23, where more than 2,000 players from 200 clubs representing over 100 countries will compete for a record-breaking $75 million prize pool.
“The Esports World Cup, with its scale of competition, diversity of titles, and quality of teams involved, is the biggest stage in competitive gaming,” Naman Mathur, Co-founder, S8UL said.
“For us at S8UL, esports is no longer viewed through the lens of a single game or region, which is why we have built rosters that combine international stars with top talent from India.”
“Competing at this level requires patience, planning, the right people, and a culture where players feel fully supported to perform at their best. We have worked hard behind the scenes to create that environment, and I’m proud of the teams we are sending into this year’s EWC.”
“Our goal is to make our community proud and continue proving that an organization from India can belong among the very best in world esports,” Mathur concluded.
S8UL’s rosters for EWC 2026:
Apex Legends – Rick Wirth (Sharky), Benjamin Spaseski (Jesko), Tom Canty (Legacy)
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) – Aaryaman Seth (Thunder), Harsh Paudwal (Goblin), Khush Singh (Jokerr), Nakul Sharma (NakuL), and Yash Choudhary (LEGIT)
Call of Duty (COD): Warzone – Aidan Provenzano (Knight), Chris Paez (Clumziy), Raul Mercado III (Rxul)
8Chess* – Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, Pranesh M
EA Sports FC – Aditya Chadha (Krusher), Jonas Wirth (Jonny), Julien Perbal (Fouma)
Fatal Fury and Street Fighter 6 – Ansh Arora (Closing Regent), Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt), Prince (Prince)
Fortnite – David Ciubotariu (Faded), Kaan Tafli (Kaan)
Honor of Kings – Darkness, Meruem, Xtreme, XesoL, Kyurem, Kael, Doffy and Kong
MOBA Legends 5v5 – Bikash Tamang (Bobe), Chirag Singh (Radium), Debasish Sana (Anti), Jay Mehta (J), Mohammad Saad (Apex) and Muhammad Syahroni (Ronn)
TEKKEN 8 – Akhil Kakar (Tetsu), Gurashish Singh (Soul), Mohammad Sameer (AK Arhaan), Nakul Sharma (Weak Akuma)
Trackmania – Alexander Page (Whizzy), Kunal Upreti (Spark) and Neal Kamdar (Neal)
(With Inputs From Agencies)
Read More
