S8UL wins BMSD 2026 and KIC India qualifier, books spots at global events

MUMBAI: S8UL Esports has secured a double victory in India’s competitive gaming circuit, with its Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) team, iQOO SouL, winning the BGMI Showdown (BMSD) 2026 and its Honor of Kings roster claiming the Indian qualifier for the Honor of Kings International Championship (KIC) 2026. The wins send the organisation’s teams to two global tournaments, the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2026 and KIC 2026.

Led by captain Nakul Sharma, known as NakuL, iQOO SouL dominated the three-day BMSD Grand Finals, finishing with 155 points and 103 eliminations, the highest tally by any team in the finals. The win earned the roster Rs 30 lakh in prize money.

Teammate Yash Choudhary, known as LEGIT, was named Finals MVP after recording 33 finishes across 18 matches, earning an additional Rs 1 lakh. The tournament also marked a milestone for Harsh Paudwal, or Goblin, who became the first Indian player to record 1,000 finishes in official BGMI tournaments.

Having won the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) earlier this year, iQOO SouL has now secured its second official tournament title of the season. Its BMSD victory also confirmed qualification for PMGC 2026, alongside the BGMI International Cup (BMIC) 2026.

PMGC 2026, the culminating event of the PUBG Mobile competitive season, is scheduled to take place in Turkey, with a USD 3 million prize pool, equivalent to approximately Rs 28 crore. BMIC 2026 will run from 30 October to 1 November, bringing together teams from India, South Korea and Japan to compete for Rs 1 crore. The event will also offer two PMGC qualification spots, although iQOO SouL has already secured its place.

“One of the biggest lessons this year has been learning to make the right decisions when things don’t go according to plan,” said iQOO SouL captain NakuL. He credited the team’s progress to growing confidence in individual roles, better coordination and support from its coach and management, adding that adaptability would be crucial against international opponents.

S8UL’s second title came in Honor of Kings, where its roster went unbeaten in the Indian qualifier for KIC 2026, the global championship for the game’s 2026 competitive season.

Captained by Aryan Gulati, known as TTranquil, the team features Indian players Saurabh Jagadale (Kaeltzy), Harsh (Ch1pz) and Peerzada Syed Seyadat (Pluto), alongside Indonesia’s Neville Garrick (Nev) and South Korea’s Min Kyung-hyun (Kyoung9).

The roster opened with a 2-0 win over Off Meta Gaming, then beat Revenant XSpark 2-1 in the quarter-finals. It followed with a 2-0 victory over Avalanche in the semi-finals and a 3-0 win against Reckoning Esports in the upper-bracket final. In the Grand Final, S8UL swept Revenant XSpark 4-0 to claim the qualifier title and Rs 1.5 lakh in prize money.

The team also brings international experience into KIC 2026. Earlier this year, S8UL’s Honor of Kings roster represented India at the Honor of Kings World Cup during the Esports World Cup 2026. Nev and Kyoung9 have competed at a previous edition of KIC, while Kyoung9 also played at the Honor of Kings World Champion Cup in 2019 and finished runner-up at the Honor of Kings Invitational 2025 Season 3.

“The team has worked hard to reach this point, and this result is a reflection of the effort everyone has put in,” said S8UL Honor of Kings captain TTranquil. He said the roster would need to maintain its focus and build on its strengths ahead of the international championship.

The double win adds to S8UL’s competitive record in 2026. The organisation competed across six titles at the Esports World Cup and also participated in the world championships for Pokémon UNITE and Pokémon GO.

“For us, success is not just about winning tournaments, but about building teams that can compete consistently at the international level,” said S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal. He said the organisation was focused on strengthening its support systems and raising competitive standards to help Indian players perform against the world’s best.

With places secured at PMGC and KIC, S8UL’s next challenge is to translate domestic success into international results. The two qualifications give the organisation a chance to test its teams against the world’s leading contenders across two major esports titles.