The well-known esports and gaming content company S8UL has formally declared that it would compete in five events at the much-awaited Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24.

Chess, EAFC 25, Tekken 8, Call of Duty (COD): Warzone, and Apex Legends are among the initial wave of games; other titles and the official rosters will be unveiled in the next weeks.

Along with 24 of the greatest esports titles in the world and the highest prize pool in esports history, the Esports World Cup will also choose a Club Champion, the best-performing esports organisation across all games. The event is expected to be the biggest gaming festival in the world, with more than 50,000 square meters devoted to entertainment, worldwide pop culture integrations, and fan activations.

The Esports World Cup Foundation, in partnership with Chess.com, announced the addition of chess to this year’s edition, which will have a prize pool of $1.5 million (about Rs 12.8 crores), whereas all other titles were included in the first edition of the EWC.

India’s first-ever chess team to represent the country in the esteemed competition will be S8UL.
“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,” according to a news release quoting Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of S8UL.

“For Indian esport, this is a pivotal time. Not only are we participating in games like EAFC, Warzone, Apex, Tekken, and Chess, but we are making a statement. S8UL is expanding worldwide. With passion, talent, and purpose, we’re venturing into fields that many people never thought an Indian organisation could traverse. We are here to leave our mark, not merely to have fun. “And this is only the beginning of that journey,” he said.

Popular content maker BeYouNick and its all-star cast of creators appeared in a humorous and frantic announcement video that S8UL released to start the campaign.

However, S8UL has much more in store for EWC 2025 than just team participation. In the run-up to the World Cup, the organisation is preparing for one of its largest campaigns to date, which will take it to more than 20 cities in India. Fans can anticipate never-before-seen video, in-person interactions, roster announcements, exclusive access behind the scenes, and chances to travel and join in the team’s celebrations.