Gaming
S8ul signs grandmasters Nihal and Aravindh for Esports World Cup 2025
MUMBAI: S8ul has signed grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram to represent the organisation at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, where chess will make its official debut.
With a massive prize pool of dollar 1.5 million, the EWC marks a historic entry for chess into the esports ecosystem—and S8ul becomes the first Indian esports organisation to compete in this format on the global stage.
Chithambaram, a 25-year-old grandmaster from Madurai, brings an impressive resume. He first gained national attention at age 12 by winning the Indian Under-19 title and later earned his grandmaster title in 2015. He is a two-time National Premier Champion and the only Indian to have clinched the Indian Open across classical, rapid, and blitz formats. Most recently, Chithambaram won the 2025 Prague Chess Festival Masters and currently ranks fourth in India and 11 globally, with a FIDE rating of 2749.
“This moment is special not just for me personally, but for Indian chess as a whole. Being part of S8ul’s lineup for the Esports World Cup reflects how far the game has come and how it continues to evolve. The fact that a mainstream esports organisation is investing in chess players shows the growing recognition of chess as both a competitive and spectator sport in the digital space. It feels great to be part of this new wave, and I hope to make my country proud on the global stage,” stated Chithambaram.
Joining him is Sarin, the 20-year-old prodigy from Thrissur, Kerala. Nihal became a household name after winning the World Youth Chess Championship in the Under-10 category. Since then, he has earned multiple accolades including a runner-up finish at the Chess.com Global Championship 2022, and recent victories at the President’s Cup 2024 and Tashkent Open. He currently ranks 8 in India and 40 in the world, with a FIDE rating of 2687.
Sarin said, “Being part of the Esports World Cup is a new and exciting experience for me. Chess has traditionally lived in a very classical space, but the way it is now being embraced as part of the esports world opens up a whole new dimension for players and audiences alike. Representing India and S8ul on this global stage is an honour, and I look forward to this opportunity of taking the game I love to a much broader audience and inspire more young minds to pick it up.”
The addition of chess to the EWC will follow a 10+0 rapid time control format. Players will qualify through events on the Champions Chess Tour in February and May, with the final four slots determined by a Last Chance Qualifier in Riyadh. Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has also joined as Global Ambassador for the event.
S8ul co-founder & CEO Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug remarked, “We are incredibly proud to be the first Indian team to step into the global esports chess arena. Sarin and Chithambaram are not just two of India’s best, but among the top minds in the world. Their addition reflects our commitment to representing India in every genre of competitive gaming, and our belief that esports is about excellence, whether it’s aim or intellect. This is a historic moment for both S8ul and Indian chess.”
S8ul, already a decorated name in the esports space with three consecutive ‘Content Group of the Year’ wins at the Esports Awards, continues to build on its global presence. Aside from chess, the team will also participate in titles including Apex Legends, EAFC 25, Call of Duty Warzone, and Tekken 8 at EWC 2025.
Gaming
IICT signs three MoUs to boost AVGC-XR and esports
Partnerships with Zenfluencers, Yologram and Eruditio at Chennai Gaming Show 2026 strengthen education, XR innovation and nationwide talent outreach.
MUMBAI: IICT has just levelled up the game in a big way. The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies signed three strategic Memorandums of Understanding on 17 April 2026 at the CII Summit FX – India Gaming Show in Chennai, forging alliances with The Zenfluencers, Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. and Eruditio Consultants to accelerate India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.
The tie-ups combine IICT’s strengths in education, skilling and research with specialist expertise across esports, immersive technologies and large-scale outreach.
- With The Zenfluencers, IICT will roll out globally benchmarked esports programmes, including joint certification courses, industry workshops, tournaments and masterclasses, creating clear career pathways across the full esports value chain.
- The partnership with Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. focuses on gaming, immersive storytelling and extended reality (XR), delivering industry-aligned curriculum, faculty mentorship, student showcases and collaborative research in immersive AI and virtual production.
- Collaboration with Eruditio Consultants targets awareness, accessibility and career alignment, with nationwide counsellor training, institutional engagement and structured guidance frameworks to reach students beyond Tier-1 cities.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar said, “As the AVGC-XR sector evolves at a rapid pace, strong collaborations between industry and academia are essential. These partnerships will create meaningful impact across education, innovation and outreach.”
Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. founder Aditya Mani added, “AI-driven creator worlds are transforming games into engines of culture, commerce and careers. Together we aim to empower a generation to build immersive futures.”
Eruditio Consultants founder Indrajit Ghosh noted, “This is not just about awareness, it is about building a structured ecosystem that connects aspiration with opportunity.”
The Zenfluencers CEO Atharva Gupta said, “This MoU is a big unlock moment for the esports ecosystem in India. We’re building a structured pipeline for talent across the full stack.”
By bringing together academia, industry leaders and ecosystem players, IICT is creating scalable models that blend cutting-edge skills with real-world relevance. In a sector racing toward the future, these three partnerships ensure India’s next generation of creative technologists won’t just keep up, they’ll set the pace.
