S8UL ESPORTS finished among the top five teams at the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2026 Championship, held in Sapporo, Japan from 15 to 18 January, recording the best-ever result by an Indian organisation on the Apex Legends global stage and setting a new benchmark for Indian esports in international competition.
The ALGS 2026 Championship, the flagship event on the Apex Legends competitive calendar, featured 40 of the world’s most consistent and high-performing teams from the year-long global circuit. S8UL’s all-Australian roster Rick Wirth (Sharky), Benjamin Spaseski (Jesko) and Tom Canty (Legacy), led by head coach Harrison Rogers, produced an impressive campaign and emerged as the only South Asian organisation to secure a top-five finish at the sport’s premier global event. The team earned USD 120,000 (approximately Rs 1 crore) from the tournament’s total prize pool of USD 2 million (approximately Rs 18.14 crore), according to the media release.
S8UL began their run in Group B, navigating a demanding round-robin stage in which the 40 teams were split into four groups of 10. Consistent performances across matches saw the team place among the top 20, earning qualification to the Winners Bracket and remaining firmly in championship contention.
From there, S8UL advanced to the Grand Finals, where the final 20 teams competed under the Match Point format. Under this system, teams must reach 50 points and then win a match to claim the title, with the remaining positions decided by total points scored. Across nine Grand Final matches, S8UL accumulated 64 points to finish fifth overall, narrowly missing fourth place by a single point behind GROW Gaming.
S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal said, “Over the years, we have built one of India’s strongest gaming creator ecosystems and a solid foundation in content. In the last 18 months, we have deliberately expanded our focus to global esports investments across multiple titles, and performances like this validate that vision. Our ambition is to compete and win at the highest level worldwide. We are investing deeply, assembling world-class international rosters, and representing S8UL on the global stage from India. A top five finish at ALGS is a major milestone, and it marks only the beginning of what we believe will be a very strong future for S8UL in esports.”
Rogers added, “The margins at this level are extremely fine, and the team showed tremendous composure throughout the tournament. From the group stage through to the finals, the players displayed adaptability, trust, and resilience. Finishing in the top five globally is a major milestone, and it reinforces our confidence in this roster’s ability to contend for championships in the future.”
