India’s Esports World Cup 2026 campaign: Free Fire highs-lows; Chess, BGMI await

3 min readJul 31, 2026 06:56 PM IST Esports World Cup 2026 was moved to Paris from Riyadh due to rising tensions in Middle East. (Reuters)Indian teams made their biggest-ever appearance at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, with multiple organisations competing across different titles. The Free Fire campaign delivered a historic moment but ended on a disappointing note. Three Indian teams, Team Apex Gaming, S8UL Esports, and Total Gaming Esports, made history by qualifying for the Free Fire World Cup, marking India’s first-ever presence in the event. Team Apex provided the tournament’s brightest moment for India, securing a Booyah in the Survival Stage, the country’s first at a Free Fire World Cup, and finishing second in their group to reach the Grand Finals. The title round, however, p