The team also explained that the guest slot given by Riot Games also presented challenges and risks, which impacted several areas in its day-to-day operations.
Unlike partner teams, guest partners must compete in a promotion and relegation tournament at the end of each year. Isurus would therefore have to compete against teams from the tier two scene to secure its status for the upcoming season.
Initially, the organisation recorded strong results in the first split of the 2025 season, finishing first in the LTA South Split 1 after merging with Estral Esports. However, Isurus struggled to maintain the same level of competitiveness in the following splits, failing to qualify for the LTA Championship, ending its collaboration with Estral, and missing out on all the international tournaments of the season.
While Isurus was able to win the LTA South promotion tournament, the 2026 CBLOL season will only award one team per international tournament. This is opposed to the LCS, which will get two at the Mid-Season Invitational and three at Worlds 2026.
“It’s not just about covering a slot at the end of the year, but precisely that being an invited team inherently positions you at a very strong structural disadvantage compared to all the other partner teams, both competitively and in terms of business,” explained Facundo ‘Kala’ Calabró, CEO & Founder of Isurus, through a video on social media.
“The model simply doesn’t offer the level of stability or the planning horizon we prioritise, especially regarding long-term team building, the development of academies, and the lack of alignment of key dates such as promotion and relegation periods and early roster planning for the following years.”
What Happens Next?
Following the exit, the organisation will be making a return to its roots, strengthening the regional competitive ecosystem and finding new opportunities to grow the game outside of the professional tier one scene.
“We greatly value CBLOL, its community, and everything it represents for esports in Brazil. But under the current conditions, it’s not the right path for Isurus right now,” added Kala.
According to an official statement by Riot Games, a new team from South America’s tier two team is set to join the CBLOL for the coming season. That being said, the new team has yet to be confirmed.
Insomnia Gaming Festival has announced Counter-Strike 2 and VALORANT as part of its esports tournament line-up for the upcoming Insomnia 74 (i74) event.
The first-person shooter titles are the first of six esports tournaments taking place at the UK-based gaming and esports festival.
Both VALORANT and CS2 tournaments will feature 16 teams competing for a share of a £3,000 prize pool. The event organiser reveals that sign-ups and the ruleset will be revealed at a later date.
For CS2, Insomnia hasn’t revealed whether the tournament is eligible for Valve Regional Standings (VRS) status. If the tournament adheres to Valve’s Tournament Operation Requirements, teams competing can earn points that contribute to their position in the global standings.
VALORANT and Counter-Strike are no strangers to the Insomnia Gaming Festival. In 2024, two tournaments took place with £5,000 prize pools on offer. Insomnia 72 also featured a female VALORANT tournament, with seven teams competing for £9,775 in prize money.
The announcement of the two tournaments marks a return of esports to the festival, following Insomnia’s relaunch in May 2025. Its return sparked mixed reactions from the UK esports and gaming community following controversies related to its previous owner. However, in the following months, it seemingly turned its reputation around, working alongside organisations such as Modern Wolf, AV provider Protec and High Viz Media.
Insomnia 74 Esports Plans
According to Insomnia Gaming Festival’s website, four more esports events will be announced before the event takes place.
From April 30th to May 3rd, 2026, at the Staffordshire County Showground, Insomnia 74 will include a dedicated gaming exhibition in addition to a Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN for gamers to enjoy their favourite titles and compete in esports tournaments.
Esports has played a pivotal role at previous Insomnia Gaming Festivals. With new organisers at the helm, it will be interesting to see whether the tournaments run smoothly and how the community reacts.
Eight players have been confirmed to compete in the Carousel of Chaos, including popular content creator Thomas ‘Sykkuno‘. The show-match will also see a variety of Teamfight Tactics streamers including Cesar Baker, ‘TFToddy‘ and Kasım ‘Holythoth‘ Polat.
Teamfight Tactics players taking the stage include Movistar KOI’s Antonio ‘Reven‘ Pino and ‘RiRi‘, who last played for REJECT. Finally, the match will see Xiang Lin compete, along with Teamfight Tactics caster and former League of Legends coach Tsai ‘GreenTea‘ Shang-ching.
Fans will be able to watch the Carousel of Chaos show-match live through the official Teamfight Tactics YouTube and Twitch channels. More information surrounding the Paris Open is also available through the CompeteTFT esports hub.
The competition’s main event will see over 768 players, a 50% increase from past year’s events, gather to decide this season’s champion.
The Paris Open features five different rounds, funnelling of pool of competitors until only eight players remain in the Final Lobby. The last round includes a Checkmate format, where once a player reaches 20 points, they place the rest of the lobby in check, and must then win a game to be crowned the champion.
The winner will take home the lion’s share of a $300,000 (~£228,600) and hoist the Tacticians Belt on stage in Paris, France. However, prize money will still be distributed to the top 128 players, with amounts ranging from $450 (~£337) for the bottom 63 players to $25,000 (~£18,720) for the runner-up.
With the LCS making its anticipated return in 2026, various North American teams have opted to refresh their rosters in a bid to become champion.
Included in this year’s eight-team line-up is a new name, but a familiar face to VALORANT fans, as Sentinels enters the scene. Moreover, the year’s offseason has shaken up a lot of notable rosters, including last year’s LTA player of the year joining an unlikely team. To find out about all the latest roster moves, Esports Insider’s article details the confirmed line-ups for the start of the LCS 2026 season.
Editor’s note: This article will be regularly updated when further roster moves have been confirmed.
Despite a disappointing season, which saw the organisation miss out on Worlds 2025 qualification, Cloud9 has only made one roster change heading into 2026.
Korean mid laner Lee’ Loki’ Sang-min has parted ways with the organisation for personal reasons, and in his stead, Cloud9 has picked up domestic mid laner Eain ‘APA‘ Stearns, formerly of Team Liquid. He, as well as Park ‘Thanatos‘ Seung-gyu, Robert ‘Blaber‘ Huang, and Jesper ‘Zven‘ Svenningsen, all have contracts until the end of 2028, according to the Global Contract Database (GCD). Ultimately, this signals that the team is willing to invest in this roster long term.
Image Credit: @Cloud9
The big changes for the team actually come from the coaching staff, with former streamer Christian ‘IWDominate‘ Rivera joining as a strategic coach. Meanwhile, Nicholas ‘Inero‘ Smith moves to the head coach role, which was left vacant by Bok ‘Reapered‘ Han-gyu.
C9 2026 LCS Roster
Top: Thanatos
Jungle: Blabler
Mid: APA
Bot: Zven
Support: Vulcan
Dignitas
Image Credit: Riot Games
After a tough 2025 campaign, Dignitas is looking to initiate a major rebuild around Korean top laner Kyeong ‘Photon‘ Gyu-tae, who has a contract that expires at the end of 2026.
Last year’s players, Jade ‘Sheiden‘ Libut, Jonah ‘Isles‘ Rosario, Kim ‘Keine‘ Joon-cheol and Frank ‘Tomo‘ Lam, have all left the organisation. With four new positions still left to announce, Dignitas has revealed a new head coach, with Simon ‘Swiffer‘ Papamarkos joining the organisation from Team Liquid.
Going into 2026, however, the team is looking to rebuild its squad following the departure of top laner Gabriël ‘Bwipo‘ Rau, jungler Kacper ‘Inspired‘ Słoma and support Alan ‘Busio‘ Cwalina.
The new lineup will see substitute top laner İbrahim ‘Gagkos‘ Samet Bulut be promoted to the starting position, with two new players expected to fill out the vacant roles. Mid laner Song ‘Quad‘ Su-hyeong and Fahad ‘Massu‘ Abdulmalek will continue to play for FlyQuest at least for one more year.
FLY 2026 LCS Roster
Top: Gakgos
Jungle: To be confirmed
Mid: Quad
Bot: Massu
Support: To be confirmed
LYON
Image Credit: @LyonLATAM
One of the biggest winners this offseason is undoubtedly LYON, having picked up LTA 2025 player of the year, Inspired, from its LCS rivals, FlyQuest. He will be leading a LYON roster that consists of mid laner Kang ‘Saint‘ Sung-in and Frankie ‘Zamudo‘ Lin, the latter of whom was unable to compete last season due to visa issues.
While the new bot lane is yet to be unveiled, LYON is looking to become at least a playoff contender in the coming season.
Its entire roster has yet to be revealed; however, Sentinels’ head coach will be Greyson Gregory ‘Goldenglue‘ Gilmer, who previously led 100 Thieves to Worlds qualification in 2025. Goldenglue’s first major call as the organisation’s head coach will be to create a team that will look to contend in the LCS, which is set to commence January 24th.
SEN 2026 LCS Roster
Top: To be confirmed
Jungle: To be confirmed
Mid: To be confirmed
Bot: To be confirmed
Support: To be confirmed
Shopify Rebellion
Image Credit: Stefan Wisnoski/Riot Games
Shopify Rebellion head into 2026 off the back of a positive season, which saw the organisation break away from the bottom pack of the league and occasionally compete with the top teams.
For next year, the team has only made one roster move, bringing a major upgrade to the mid lane. Cristian ‘Palafox‘ Palafox has been replaced by Korean player Yoo ‘Zinie‘ Baek-jin, who will be making his tier-one debut on Shopify Rebellion.
Considered one of the hottest prospects in the LCK Challengers League, Zinie was unable to get a starting position on KT Rolster due to Gwak ‘Bdd’ Bo-seong’s presence. However, if he lives up to the hype, Shopify Rebellion could become a title contender next season.
Top laner Ibrahim ‘Fudge‘ Allami and jungler Juan ‘Contractz‘ Arturo Garcia, who had contracts expiring this year, re-signed with the team until the end of 2026.
SR 2026 LCS Roster
Top: Fudge
Jungle: Contractz
Mid: Zinie
Bot: Bvoy
Support: Ceos
Team Liquid
Image Credit: Team Liquid
Team Liquid was another big name that missed out on Worlds this year, and with the competition returning to North America for 2026, the team has decided to go for major pick-ups in the offseason. Notably, this includes changing its entire top side trio of Jeong ‘Impact‘ Aeon-young, Ganbat ‘Yuuji‘ Ulziidelger, and APA.
In the two solo lanes, Team Liquid has brought in Korean players Park ‘Morgan‘ Ru-han and Lim ‘Quid‘ Hyeon-seung. The latter, previously on 100 Thieves, was one of the best mids in the LTA last year. Meanwhile, Morgan played for OK BRION in the LCK over the past four years.
The jungle position will be filled by Argentinian player Brandon ‘Josedeodo‘ Joel Villegas, returning to NA after playing in South America for the past three years.
TL 2026 LCS Roster
Top: Morgan
Jungle: Josedeodo
Mid: Quid
Bot: Yeon
Support: CoreJJ
Disguised
Image Credit: @Disguised
Disguised was able to defend their guest slot during the LTA Promotion tournament earlier this October and will stay in the LCS for another year.
The team, owned by streamer Jeremy ‘Disguised Toast‘ Wang, recently announced its 2026 roster, changing four of the five members from the previous lineup.
The only returning player is top laner Cho ‘Castle‘ Hyeon-seong, who will team up with jungler Christian ‘KryRa‘ Rahaian, Korean mid Oh ‘Callme‘ Ji-hoon, and the bot lane of Sajed ‘Sajed‘ Ziade and Pedro ‘Lyonz‘ Luis Peralta.
Just like the previous season, the roster is focused on giving the spotlight to domestic talents, aided by the presence of a few Korean players.
DSG 2026 LCS Roster
Top: Castle
Jungle: KryRa
Mid: Callme
Bot: Sajed
Support: Lyonz
When Does the LCS 2026 Season Start?
The LCS will make its triumphant return on January 24th, 2026 with the LCK Lock-In event. This competition, complete with a Swiss Stage and Playoff bracket, will be used to determine North America’s representative at First Stand.
However, for fans wanting to get a glimpse of some LCS action, on December 6th Cloud9 and Team Liquid will be competing in South Korea’s KeSPA Cup 2025. For the first time ever, the off-season League of Legends tournament, organised by Korea’s esports governing body (KeSPA), will feature two LCS teams.
Roblox launches creator esports tournament in Los Angeles
Esports Team
4 Dec, 2025
Image credit: Roblox
Online game platform Roblox will expand into esports with the inaugural Roblox Creator Showdown.
Taking place on December 4th (2 PM PT / 10 PM GMT) in Los Angeles, California, eight content creators will compete for a chance to win a share of its $50,000 (~£37,493) prize pool.
According to a release, the event is part of Roblox’s ‘commitment to finding new ways to connect its global community’ by celebrating creators making content using its platform. The launch of the tournament comes at a time of growth for the game, which surpassed over 1 trillion views on YouTube this summer.
The eight creators are split into four teams and will compete across four Roblox titles. Esports event host Mimi ‘aEvlicat’ Wermcrantz will host the Roblox Creator Showdown alongside Australian Roblox content creator Bundun.
Ink Game, inspired by the hit Netflix show Squid Game, headlines the game lineup, alongside Tower of Hell, Rivals, and Blue Lock Rivals. The titles span a variety of genres, including first-person shooter, survival, and obstacle courses. In addition to the four titles, fans can vote on wildcard titles where competitors can earn additional points.
Launched in 2006, Roblox has become one of the largest gaming platforms in the world. In August, founder and CEO David Baszucki revealed it hit a peak of over 45m players across several titles.
Roblox Creator Showdown 2025 Participants
Below is a list of the eight content creators competing in the inaugural Roblox Creator Showdown:
Katrina Buno
Caylus
Foltyn
MeEnyu
Cakemiix
IBella
Nico
Steak
Katrina Buno is one of the biggest Roblox content creators in the world. With over 11m YouTube subscribers, the creator plays a variety of titles available on the platform. Moreover, Caylus has over 19m subscribers on YouTube.
Does Roblox Have An Esports Future?
With a vast selection of games available on the platform, Roblox has the resources to launch a dedicated esports circuit if it plans on expanding its presence within the industry.
The launch of the Creator Showdown is a solid introduction, utilising the biggest content creators and their platforms to showcase the event to a wide audience.
Fans can tune into the event across Roblox’s YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok channels. Alternatively, players can log into The Blockexperience to view the action in-game.
Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty nominated at PlayStation Blog Game of the Year awards
Esports Team
4 Dec, 2025
Image credit: PlayStation
The PlayStation Blog has revealed all the nominees for the Game of the Year 2025 awards across various categories, with notable esports titles selected.
These feature popular shooter games such as Call of Duty, sports simulations like EA Sports FC 26, and more.
Battlefield 6 was nominated across multiple categories, including Best Multiplayer Experience, Best Audio Design, Best PS5 Game, and more.
The title has drawn a lot of attention since its release back in October 2025, fostering competitive interest in both the classic modes and the RedSec battle royale. EA’s shooter has already hosted several creator events within a short period of time, including the $100,000 (~£73,500) CouRage Clash held by gaming influencer Jack ‘CouRageJD‘ Dunlop.
EA also announced a $1m (~£763,850) esports circuit for Battlefield 6, bringing two different series. The inaugural season will introduce the premier esports tournament, the Elite Series, beginning on December 10th, and the Open Series community competition starting on December 12th.
Call of Duty was also nominated thanks to the release of Black Ops 7 in November 2025, the latest entry in one of the longest-running gaming franchises to date. The title received nominations in categories such as Best PS5 Game, Best Graphical Showcase, and more.
The popular shooter also boasts a long history in esports through the Call of Duty League, which recently unveiled its roadmap for the 2026 season. From the Stage 1 qualifiers to the Championship weekend, Call of Duty has stood as one of the most popular esports titles since its inaugural season back in 2020.
Other Esports Games Nominated
Image credit: PlayStation
Multiple other competitive titles were also mentioned in the PlayStation Blog’s Game of the Year 2025 nomination list.
For example, the popular hero shooter Marvel Rivals was nominated for Best Multiplayer Experience. NetEase recently held the Ignite Series, its inaugural esports circuit pitting the best teams from across the regions against one another.
EA was able to shine beyond Battlefield 6 with FC 26 nominated for Best Sports Game. The popular football simulator features the FC Pro circuit, which hosted its inaugural World Championship in Germany in 2024. EA Sports FC will also be included in other esports circuits in 2026, such as the ePremier League, which will return with an updated format.
For a full list of all nominees and categories, fans can visit PlayStation’s official website. Unlike other events such as The Game Awards, community can choose to vote for the listed nominations or suggest their own favourite title to receive the Platinum Trophy Award for each category.
In our analysis of Yatoro’s net worth, we take an in-depth look at his tournament winnings, salaries, endorsements and business interests.
Who is Yatoro?
He is Ilya Mulyarchuk, a 22-year-old professional Dota 2 player who is Ukraine’s most financially successful esports competitor.
Better known as Yatoro, he is a two-time winner of The International, the most prestigious and lucrative tournament in the game.
Yatoro’s profile summary
Full name
Ilya Mulyarchuk
In-game name
Yatoro
Date of birth
March 12, 2003, 22 years old at the time of writing
Nationality
Ukrainian
Team
Team Spirit
Years active
2019-present
Games played
Dota 2
Estimated net worth
$5.93 million
Major achievements
Twice winner of The International
What is Yatoro’s net worth in 2025?
The most accurate estimate of Yatoro’s net worth is based on his prize winnings. As of November 2025, he’s made $5.93 million, according to Esports Earnings.
However, this figure doesn’t include salaries, endorsements, or returns from any investments he may have received.
Yatoro’s main sources of income
Let’s look at Yatoro’s main revenue streams.
Prize money
We’ll start with his prize winnings, as that makes up the bulk of his wealth. As of December 2025, he’s earned $5.93 million from 59 Dota 2 tournaments.
His most lucrative victory was The International in 2021, which paid $3.64 million, followed by $1 million at the Riyadh Masters in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, these victories made 2021 his most financially successful year, and that’s even more remarkable when you consider he was just 18 years old at the time.
Yatoro also made $1.4 million in 2023, once again boosted by winning The International, while victory in this year’s Esports World Cup has pushed annual earnings to $351,000 so far.
Salary
The terms of Yatoro’s contract with Team Spirit haven’t been disclosed. Therefore, reports estimating his monthly earnings are likely highly speculative.
Leading esports competitors can earn up to $187,200 per year, according to a report from the Influencer Marketing Hub.
Streaming and social media
As with most prominent esports stars, it’s likely that Yatoro makes money from streaming. He has a Twitch profile with around 430,000 followers, although he last streamed six months ago.
Unfortunately, subscriber information for this account is unavailable. It’s worth acknowledging that earnings aren’t fixed, as players often have individual contract terms.
Viewers can also send money in the form of tips, and many esports stars attract substantial sums from such donations.
Endorsements and sponsorships
Yatoro doesn’t appear to publicly endorse any particular brands, suggesting he doesn’t have personal agreements.
However, he likely benefits from the corporate deals Team Spirit has signed, though the exact terms will depend on his contract.
Its other partners are understood to include bookmaker BetBoom, energy drink Red Bull, and CSGO.net.
Yatoro’s business ventures and investments?
There’s no publicly available information on Yatoro’s prominent investments or on whether he’s involved in business ventures.
Given that he’s still young and a very active competitor in Dota 2, it’s likely that all of his focus is on playing the game and improving his skills.
Yatoro’s early life and background
Yatoro decided to pursue his gaming passion professionally around 2019-2020 and initially came to prominence playing for Yellow Submarine.
He reflected on this time with affection during an interview with Hotspawn. “It was a good time for us as no one was expecting us to win,” he said. “It was a good time.”
Team Spirit eventually signed the roster in December 2020, and this was to prove a turning point in the young Yatoro’s fortunes.
A successful start
The new-look Team Spirit didn’t take long to settle in and came to global attention at 2021 The International held in Bucharest, Romania.
Yatoro served as the team’s ‘carry’ in the event, which saw them defy expectations to take the crown after beating several tournament favourites along the way.
The event was also noteworthy for Yatoro’s flexibility, as he played 14 different carry heroes during the event.
Return to form
A more challenging 2022 season was followed by a return to form the following year, as Team Spirit once again won The International. It also took the Riyadh Masters.
In the summer of 2024, he temporarily changed his name to “Raddan”, meaning ‘Rain All Day, Dota All Night’, according to Liquipedia.
However, Team Spirit ended the year on a disappointing note at The International, prompting changes.
However, this hiatus didn’t last long; he returned to Team Spirit at the start of 2025, and Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov became a substitute.
The Team noted: “Such a quick return of Ilya was a surprise for us, and we had to make a hard choice. The choice was made in favour of a more experienced and mature player, in favour of a legend of the organisation.”
“I received several offers during my break, but ultimately rejoined Team Spirit because they resolved some underlying problems, the new roster and management also looked better, just like when I played here before. So, I just decided to come back.”
Future plans
Despite his long list of tournament victories, Yatoro is still young and appears fresh and motivated to win more titles.
“My motivation isn’t tied to tournaments,” he explained. “My love for this game is what drives me, and I’ll keep playing as long as I can. During my break, I realised that winning with a good team, surrounded by good people, and having fun is all I need.”
Yatoro’s lifestyle & spending habits
Little is known about Yatoro’s spending habits.
He’s acknowledged that the schedule of a professional esports competitor is demanding, but insisted that all he cares about is playing more Dota 2 and improving.
He told an interviewer in 2021 that he favoured a quiet night, rather than partying with friends and chose watching Netflix at home over going to the cinema.
The Lord of the Rings was his favourite book, and when asked what he’d spend a million dollars on, he replied: “Balloons”.
In an interview ahead of the 2025 TI, he was asked what he did in the wake of previous high-profile victories.
“I’m just sleeping, eating, playing some Counter Strike or some single player games and heading out with my friends,” he said.
Yatoro’s philanthropy and charitable donations?
It’s unclear whether Yatoro supports any particular charities or has causes close to his heart. If he does, then these don’t appear to have been made public.
How does Yatoro’s net worth compare to other esports stars?
Yatoro is the highest-earning player from Ukraine and ranks sixth on the overall list of esports top earners with $5.93 million.
Everyone in the top 22 has made their fortunes from playing Dota 2, which is recognised as offering the most financially lucrative tournaments.
Although he is very close behind Anathan “ana” Pham and Sébastien “Ceb” Debs, who occupy the fourth and fifth place spots, he is still some way off the top of the table.
That position is occupied by Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, who has amassed an impressive $7.2 million in earnings.
Conclusion
Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk has been such a high-profile figure in the world of competitive Dota 2 that it’s easy to forget he is still in his early 20s.
The talented Ukrainian was just 18 when he toppled the world by winning The International 2021 with Team Spirit. He repeated the feat two years later.
The youngster is already his country’s richest esports player and still has time to threaten Johan “N0tail” Sundstein’s position as the world’s all-time top earner.
FAQs
How much does Yatoro make a year?
It’s unclear how much Yatoro earns each year, but he has earned $5.93 million in prize money.
Who is Yatoro?
Yatoro is Ilya Mulyarchuk, a professional Dota 2 player,
How old is Yatoro?
Yatoro is currently 22 years old. He was born on March 12, 2003.
Marvel Rivals opens caster applications, hinting at 2026 esports plans
Esports Team
4 Dec, 2025
Image credit: NetEase Games
Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games has shared that it is opening applications for its 2026 esports caster programme.
The announcement follows the conclusion of this year’s Ignite series, Marvel Rivals’ inaugural esports circuit, and hints at plans to continue its esports scene in 2026.
Sign-ups will be open from December 3rd to 9th, with resumes screened until December 14th, 2025. NetEase will then hold interviews with selected applicants from December 15th to 31st, 2025, and will make offers to chosen candidates before April 2026.
Aspiring esports casters can apply for the programme through the dedicated Google form.
In the blog post, NetEase wrote: “Looking ahead to next year, we hope to welcome even more talented casters to our esports broadcasts. Your professionalism, enthusiasm, and unique voice can help shape unforgettable moments in the Marvel Rivals esports journey.”
The post by NetEase also acknowledges that 2025 has been a major year for Marvel Rivals and its foray into esports. It highlighted the Ignite series and how it held two offline tournaments, the Mid-Season Finals and the Grand Finals, in Guangzhou and Atlanta, respectively.
Marvel Rivals Esports Returns?
The casters programme also hints that Marvel Rivals intends to continue its venture into esports throughout the next year. The extent of NetEase’s plans, whether it’s the continuation of the seasonal open-bracket Championships or the return of Ignite for 2026, has yet to be confirmed.
However, at the bottom of the application, NetEase writes that broadcasts of Marvel Rivals Ignite ‘will be available’ on Twitch and YouTube.
This comes at a crucial point in the scene as various organisations, such as North American teams ENVY and Sentinels, have paused operations following the conclusion of Marvel Rivals Ignite’s 2025 season.
If the scene does return, some players are hoping that it will come with drastic changes in how it is run, including introducing stronger financial incentives for teams.
S8UL Esports has unveiled India’s first-ever FGC Talent Hunt Program for up-and-coming players across Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6.
From January until June 2026, the initiative will help six players develop their competitive skills and personal brand through coaching, funding and additional resources.
Based on their performance in the nationwide qualifiers and finals, two players for Tekken 8 and four for Street Fighter 6 will be selected for the Talent Hunt Program. Interested individuals can register via the dedicated website.
Throughout the six-month training, participants will have access to S8UL’s gaming facility, as well as:
A dedicated professional coach
Fully-funded participation in at least three international tier-one tournaments
Travel support, covering accommodation, flights, etc.
A monthly stipend
Integration into S8UL’s content ecosystem
According to a press release, this comprehensive offering aims to serve as a ‘development pipeline, focusing on long-term athlete growth’.
“India’s fighting game community has shown tremendous potential, but players have rarely had access to a structured environment that supports long-term growth,” commented Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL Esports.
“This is not just a short-term project for us — it’s the beginning of a sustained effort to help build a strong foundation for fighting games in India and give our players a fair chance to compete on the world stage”
Supporting Indian FGC Talent
With the new talent programme, S8UL also strives to strengthen India’s position in the global FGC landscape.
The esports organisation has been a notable stakeholder in both its regional esports industry and the international ecosystem. After becoming the first Indian team selected for the Esports World Cup’s Partner Programme, S8UL began its FGC involvement with Fatal Fury and Tekken 8.
Despite facing limited funding and publisher support, the fighting game esports scene has persevered in the ever-changing competitive gaming ecosystem. Moreover, the community has seen interest from new esports organisations and the addition of new titles, such as Riot Games’ 2XKO.
Winning the Microsoft Excel World Championship: The smartest esport you didn’t know existed
Esports Team
4 Dec, 2025
The Microsoft Excel World Championship 2025 has concluded, with Diarmuid Early defeating 23 other Grand Final competitors to take the title.
Taking place at the Las Vegas HyperX Arena, the event unites the world’s smartest spreadsheet speedrunners in pursuing one common goal – to be the fastest, most efficient Microsoft Excel esports player on the planet.
How does the Microsoft Excel World Championship work?
Microsoft Excel World Championship contestants are given a puzzle-style challenge that is based entirely within an Excel spreadsheet.