India's First Esports World Champion Ved Bamb Joins S8UL Esports

Beelzeboy made history in August 2025 when he clinched the Pokemon GO World Championship, defeating Spain's Leo "P4T0M4N" Marin in a thrilling grand final at Anaheim, California. A total of 64 of the world's best players competed in the tournament, where Beelzeboy delivered a remarkable run through the bracket.

He began by defeating Chile's IceCr1S 2-0 in the upper bracket quarterfinals, followed by a 2-1 victory over Brazil's LNDsRargef in the upper bracket semifinals, with both matches played as best-of-three series. He then suffered a 1-3 defeat against P4T0M4N in the upper bracket final, but mounted a strong comeback in the lower bracket final with a 3-1 win over LNDsRargef in a best-of-five series. Carrying that momentum into the grand final, Beelzeboy defeated P4T0M4N 3-1 and 3-2 across two best-of-five series to secure the championship. With the victory, he became India's first-ever world champion in the realm of esports and earned USD 20,000 (approximately INR 18.5 lakh) in prize money, placing the country firmly on the global competitive gaming map.

Expressing his excitement about joining the organisation, Ved "Beelzeboy" Bamb said, "Winning the Pokemon GO World Championship was a dream come true, and it was incredibly special to represent India on the biggest stage. Joining S8UL is another exciting chapter in that journey. The organisation has consistently elevated Indian esports globally, and I'm thrilled to be part of a team that shares the same vision of pushing boundaries. Together, we'll try our best to bring many more laurels for the country and inspire the next generation of players."

Hailing from Nagpur, Ved began playing Pokemon GO when the game launched in 2016 and steadily rose through the competitive circuit with consistent performances across regional and international tournaments. Before winning the world championship, he had already established himself as one of the top Pokemon GO competitors globally, including securing the Pokemon GO India National Championship title in 2024 and finishing among the top players internationally.

Outside of esports, Ved is a software developer by profession, balancing his career in technology with his passion for competitive gaming, a journey that highlights the growing diversity of paths within the esports ecosystem.

Commenting on the signing, Animesh Agarwal, aka 8Bit Thug, Co-Founder of S8UL and 8Bit Creatives, said, "Pokemon is where it all began for many of us as kids - the first battles, the first rivalries, and the first love for competitive play. Our commitment to the Pokemon esports ecosystem continues as we welcome Beelzeboy to the S8UL family. His historic victory showed the world what Indian players are capable of, and we're excited for what lies ahead as we keep building from the roots of gaming to the global stage."

With this addition, S8UL continues to strengthen its legacy of representing India on the world stage across multiple titles. As one of the country's most decorated esports organisations, S8UL fields championship-calibre teams across several competitive games while also operating one of the world's most influential gaming content groups.

Beelzeboy's arrival not only adds a world champion to S8UL's roster but also reinforces the organisation's commitment to nurturing top-tier talent and expanding India's presence in emerging global esports ecosystems.

- ANI