Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) S8UL Esports delivered a landmark performance by finishing among the top five teams globally at the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2026 Championship, held in Sapporo, Japan, making it the best-ever finish by an Indian organisation on the Apex Legends global stage, setting a new benchmark for the country’s esports at the highest level of international competition.
The ALGS 2026 Championship, the crowning event of the Apex Legends competitive calendar, was held from January 15 to 18 and brought together 40 of the world’s most consistent and high-performing teams from the year-long global circuit.
S8UL’s all-Australian roster, featuring Rick Wirth (Sharky), Benjamin Spaseski (Jesko), and Tom Canty (Legacy), led by head coach Harrison Rogers (Rogers), delivered a standout campaign and emerged as the only South Asian team to secure a Top 5 finish at the premier international Apex Legends event.
The team, a global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, earned USD 120,000 (approximately Rs 1 crore) from the tournament’s USD 2,000,000 (approximately Rs 18.14 crore) total prize pool.
S8UL began their campaign in Group B, navigating a demanding round-robin stage where all 40 teams were divided into four groups of 10. The team’s consistent performances saw them finish among the top 20 teams, earning a spot in the Winners Bracket and keeping them firmly in title contention.
From there, S8UL qualified for the Grand Finals, where the remaining 20 teams competed under the high-pressure Match Point Format. Under this system, a team must reach 50 points and then secure a match win to claim the championship, with the remaining teams ranked by total points. Across nine final matches, S8UL accumulated 64 points to finish fifth overall, just one point behind fourth-placed GROW Gaming, underlining how closely contested the championship was.
“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,” commented Harrison Rogers, coach of S8UL’s Apex Legends team.
S8UL’s performance at the ALGS 2026 Championship builds on the organisation’s growing presence in international Apex Legends competition. In 2025, S8UL competed at the ALGS Midseason Playoffs as part of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, where the organisation also became the first Indian team to be selected as a Club Partner for the tournament. With consecutive appearances at Apex Legends’ premier global events, S8UL continues to establish itself as a consistent contender on the world stage and a flagbearer for Indian esports internationally.
Commenting on the achievement, Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and CEO, S8UL, 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. 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.”
–IANS
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