By Sagar V. Mankar 
The second edition of the Mobile Gaming Awards (MOBIES 2024) in Los Angeles brought remarkable success for Indian gaming creators, with two major victories out of five nominations spotlighting India’s growing influence in the global gaming landscape.
S8UL Continues Its Global Dominance
Leading Indian gaming organization S8UL Esports has added another feather to its cap by winning the ‘Mobile Organisation of the Year’ award at MOBIES 2024 on November 19. This victory becomes even more significant as S8UL outperformed several international powerhouses, including Brazil’s LOUD (co-owned by soccer star Vinicius Jr.), Fluxo, North America’s Tribe Gaming, Indonesia’s EVOS, and fellow Indian competitor GodLike Esports.
The win builds upon S8UL’s impressive track record, following their ‘Global Impact on Mobile Gaming’ award at MOBIES 2023. What makes their achievement particularly noteworthy is that they recently became the first esports organization to win ‘Content Group of the Year’ at the Esports Awards for three consecutive years.
S8UL’s success story is driven by its founding trio – Animesh ‘8Bit Thug’ Agarwal, Naman ‘Mortal’ Mathur, and Lokesh ‘Goldy’ Jain. Commenting on the victory, Animesh Agarwal expressed how this win represents more than just an award. “It’s an embodiment of our journey, the unwavering support of our community, and the dedication of our team,” he explained.
Notably, S8UL’s Gaming Festival 2023 also received a nomination for ‘Live Event of the Year,’ competing alongside major events like the Esports World Cup and PMGC. The festival successfully brought together over 13,000 gaming enthusiasts, showcasing the organization’s ability to create engaging real-world experiences.
Meanwhile, Naman “Mortal” Mathur, often called the ‘Face of Indian Gaming,’ received a nomination for ‘Mobile Content Creator of the Year,’ further cementing S8UL’s dominant presence across various aspects of the gaming industry.
Related: Check the full list of winners of the MOBIES 2024 Awards
PayalGaming Makes History
The MOBIES 2024 marked a historic moment for Indian gaming as Payal Dhare, better known as PayalGaming, became the first female gamer from India to win an international award. Her victory in the ‘Streamer of the Year’ category is particularly impressive considering the strong competition she faced, including fellow S8UL member Parv Singh (Regaltos), Brazil’s Nobru, Indonesia’s RRQ Lemon, and North America’s Wynnsanity.
PayalGaming’s influence extends far beyond this award – with 3.7 million Instagram followers and 4.2 million YouTube subscribers, she has established herself as a role model in the gaming community. Her success is especially meaningful given the growing presence of women in Indian gaming. According to Lumikai’s recent report on India’s Interactive Media & Gaming sector for FY’24, women now make up 44% of India’s gaming population, up from 41% in the previous year.
“Being the first female Indian streamer to win a global award is both an honor and a responsibility,” Payal shared, hoping her success will inspire more women to pursue their gaming passions.