Pokémon UNITE World Championship Series 2026: S8UL Win India Qualifier, Book San Francisco Spot

S8UL has won the India Qualifier of the Pokémon UNITE World Championship Series 2026. The team will represent India at the Pokémon UNITE World Championships 2026 in San Francisco from August 28 to 30. The global event has a USD 500,000 prize pool, about INR 4.7 crore.

This is the fourth time S8UL will represent India at the world event. No other Indian team has done this. Across five Indian qualifiers held so far, S8UL has won four. The run highlights a strong record in Pokémon UNITE on the domestic stage.

The India Qualifier used a double-elimination format for all teams. Most matches were best-of-three series. The grand finals were best-of-five. Manmohan Singh, also known as All Might, captained S8UL. The roster included Anklesh Satelkar, Darshan Nate, Naitik Jain, and Md Sarim Hasan.

S8UL opened with a 2-0 win over Anti Secure in the upper bracket quarterfinals. The team then beat GodLike 2-0 in the upper bracket semifinals. A 2-0 win against Team QML followed in the upper bracket final. That run set up a grand final clash with Revenant XSpark.

Revenant XSpark pushed S8UL to five games in the final. S8UL drew on past global experience and held their nerve. The side closed out a 3-2 series victory. That result sealed the title and confirmed the World Championship slot for San Francisco later this year.

The India Qualifier offered a total prize pool of USD 25,000, around INR 23.5 lakh. S8UL earned USD 15,000, close to INR 14.1 lakh, for first place. The win further strengthened the team’s position at the top of India’s Pokémon UNITE scene.

Speaking on the victory, Manmohan Singh aka All Might, Captain of S8UL's Pokémon UNITE team, said, "Every qualifier brings a different kind of pressure because the competition keeps improving and every team comes prepared to challenge you. For us, the focus was on staying disciplined, communicating clearly, and adapting quickly in every match. I'm proud of the way everyone on the team stepped up when it mattered most. Qualifying for the World Championships again is a proud achievement, and also an opportunity to show how far Indian Pokémon UNITE has come and how seriously we approach international competition."

S8UL has posted strong results in several titles this year. The BGMI lineup won the BGMI India Series 2026. The MOBA Legends 5v5 squad took the Rai Star x Gyan Gaming Cup. Grandmaster Nihal Sarin secured a Menorca Open victory. The VALORANT team won VCSA Split 1.

The Honor of Kings team claimed the Kings Arise India City Tour - Mumbai crown. S8UL’s Apex Legends roster reached the Top 5 at the ALGS 2026 Championship. That finish is the best by any Indian organisation in that game. These results underline a wide competitive presence.

"What makes this roster truly special is their ability to turn success into a culture of consistency. In esports, sustaining performance at the highest level is never easy, but this team has continued to evolve and deliver results season after season.They carry not just the pride of an organization, but the aspirations of an entire community of Indian fans who believe in their journey. As they head to San Francisco, we're incredibly proud to see them represent the country once again and showcase their talent on the global stage," said Naman Mathur, Co-founder, S8UL.

S8UL has also been chosen again as a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation. The organisation joins 39 other teams for the Esports World Cup 2026. As part of this group, S8UL represents its region in Riyadh. The organisation will aim for EWC slots across multiple esports titles which are listed below:

With these campaigns, S8UL maintains one of India’s most successful esports records. The Pokémon UNITE roster’s qualifier win adds another global entry to that record. The organisation now turns its attention to San Francisco and the Esports World Cup 2026 cycle.