S8UL Signs Fighting Game Star Yurikov, Expanding into Fatal Fury Esports

Indian esports powerhouse S8UL has signed its first Fatal Fury player, Marcoantonio "Yurikov" Malpica, as part of its ongoing international expansion.

The Mumbai-based organization made the announcement on May 19, 2025, confirming that Yurikov—a Peruvian-American fighter with over a decade of competitive experience—will represent S8UL at the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, along with other top-tier tournaments throughout the year.

"From solo queues to the big leagues. Joining S8UL is a whole new chapter," said Yurikov. "I've always moved with purpose—now it's time to do it with a team that shares the vision."

Yurikov has been competing professionally since 2012 and built a strong name in titles like The King of Fighters and Guilty Gear Strive before focusing on Fatal Fury. With over 400 competitive matches under his belt and wins at events like Summer Jam 2023 and Heat Wave 2022, he brings a wealth of experience and momentum to the roster.

Strengthening S8UL’s Multi-Game Presence

This signing adds to S8UL’s growing portfolio across various esports genres. The organization confirmed it will now be fielding teams in eight different titles at EWC 2025 in Saudi Arabia.

S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal, known as 8Bit Thug, welcomed the signing with excitement: "Been watching Yurikov cook for a while — always knew he was built different. Welcome to the family, hermano."

Initially rising to fame through BGMI/PUBG Mobile esports, S8UL has been steadily expanding into more PC and console titles. Their current line-up now spans Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EAFC25, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Starcraft II, Tekken 8, and now, Fatal Fury.

Full Roster Revealed for EWC 2025

With Yurikov’s addition, S8UL has finalized its complete Esports World Cup 2025 roster. Key players include:

• Apex Legends: Rick “Sharky” Wirth and Benjamin “Jesko” Spaseski

• Chess: Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram

• Tekken 8: Arja "Sephiblack" Gamoori and Nino "Nino" Schwarz

• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang: A six-player squad featuring Michael "MobaZane" Cosgun and Carlos "Bestplayer1" Ortega Vega

• Call of Duty: Warzone: Colin "Trikempathy" Bowers-Wilson, Braxton "Braxtvn" Trice, and Ryder "Ryda" Skarzinski

• EAFC25: Jonas "Jonny" Wirth and Aaron "Happy" Rivera

• Starcraft II: Pyung Jae "GuMiho" Koh from South Korea

At EWC 2025, Yurikov will be one of 16 Fatal Fury competitors battling it out for a share of the $1 million prize pool (approx. ₹8.5 crore). The event will run from July 10–12 in Riyadh.