Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) Popular online game chess will be debuting at this year’s Esports World Cup 2025 and S8UL, the top esports competitors, will be fighting for honours in the new category along with regular ones.
With a prize pool of $1.5 million (approximately INR 12.8 crore), this year’s edition of the Esports World Cup, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 7 to August 24, will be the top attraction on the calendar.
S8UL, a global name in esports and gaming content, has officially announced its participation in five titles at the highly anticipated Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025. The first wave of titles includes Chess, EAFC 25, Tekken 8, Call of Duty (COD): Warzone, and Apex Legends, with more titles and the official rosters to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Featuring the largest prize pool in esports history and 24 of the world’s biggest esports titles, the Esports World Cup will also crown a Club Champion — the top-performing esports organization across all games. With over 50,000 square metres of space dedicated to fan activations, global pop culture integrations, and entertainment, the event promises to be the largest gaming festival on the planet.
While all other titles were part of EWC’s inaugural edition, the Esports World Cup Foundation, in collaboration with Chess.com, announced the debut of Chess in this year’s edition. S8UL will be India’s first-ever team to represent the nation in Chess at the prestigious tournament.
By entering globally competitive titles such as EAFC, Warzone, Apex, Tekken, and Chess, S8UL becomes one of the first Indian organisations to compete at this scale and across such a diverse mix of esports titles. It reflects a clear step toward going global, showing how Indian esports is moving from regional success to a much bigger stage.
With this participation, S8UL reinforces the message that Indian esports organisations are ready to compete at the highest level, alongside some of the biggest names in the international esports scene.
“The announcement video was our way of involving the community right from the start — showcasing that S8UL’s strength lies not just in gameplay but in storytelling,” said Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL.
“This is a defining moment for Indian esports. Our entry into titles like EAFC, Warzone, Apex, Tekken, and Chess is not just participation — it’s a statement. S8UL is going global. We’re stepping into arenas that many never imagined an Indian org could enter, and we’re doing it with heart, skill, and intent. We’re not just here to play — we’re here to make a mark. And this is just the first stop in that journey,” said Agarwal.
–IANS
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