iQOO S8UL, the MOBA Legends 5v5 roster of esports and gaming content powerhouse S8UL Esports, emerged victorious at the Rai Star x Gyan Gaming Cup following a thrilling 4-3 win in the grand final held in Kolkata on February 18. The triumph earned the team a total of INR 12.5 lakh in prize money and further solidified the organization’s standing as a dominant force in India’s competitive MOBA ecosystem.
Featuring a massive open qualifier pool with participation from 1,024 teams across the country, the month-long Rai Star x Gyan Gaming Cup established itself as one of India’s largest MOBA Legends 5v5 tournaments. Led by in-game leader (IGL) Mohammad Saad (Apex), alongside Abhijeet Katkar (Abhi), Mehta Jay (J), Chirag Singh (Radium), Debasish Sana (Anti), and Joseph Nehhunjang (Kakarot), iQOO S8UL’s championship run was defined by composure, adaptability, and elite-level execution under pressure.
Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder of S8UL Esports, said, “This victory is a testament to the structure and long-term vision we are building at S8UL. The Indian MOBA ecosystem is entering a new phase of growth, with larger tournaments, stronger grassroots participation, higher competitive standards and we are proud to have a strong, well-balanced lineup featuring some of the best players in the title. Wins like this validate our investment in building elite lineups and support systems around our players. Our focus now is to sustain this level of performance and replicate similar success in upcoming national and international tournaments.”
The tournament commenced with single-elimination open qualifiers played in a Best-of-One (Bo1) format, from which only 16 teams advanced. iQOO S8UL secured their place among the top contenders before entering the main event brackets, where the intensity increased significantly.
In the Group A playoffs, iQOO S8UL defeated Megatron Esports 2-0 in the Best-of-Three quarterfinals, followed by a commanding 3-1 victory over PEAK in the Best-of-Five semifinals. They then delivered a dominant 4-0 sweep against Elusivity Esports in the Best-of-Seven Group A finals to book their spot in the grand final. In what turned out to be a nail-biting Best-of-Seven decider, iQOO S8UL held their nerve in a fiercely contested series, eventually closing out the matchup 4-3 against Godlike Esports to be crowned champions.
“Coming into this tournament with so many teams, we knew the margin for error would be extremely small. As a team, we focused heavily on preparation, communication, and adapting our gameplay depending on the opponent’s playstyle. That grand final was one of the most intense series we’ve played as a team and this title belongs to everyone who believed in us,” commented Mohammad Saad aka Apex, IGL of iQOO S8UL’s MOBA Legends 5v5 team who has previously competed at the MLBB Mid Season Cup 2024 at the Esports World Cup, a global event that featured a staggering USD 3 million prize pool.
The championship further strengthens S8UL Esports’ reputation as one of India’s leading esports organizations, underlining its commitment to nurturing elite talent and elevating Indian esports on both national and global stages.
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