By Davinder Bir-Bhatti
When 21-year-old Aarondeep Singh Dhami stood onstage in Paris, holding the 2026 Esports World Cup trophy, he and his teammates froze. Hands on their heads, staring at the crowd, they took nearly ten minutes for reality to sink in: they were world champions.
Just twelve months earlier, the story was completely different. Competing at the 2025 World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Aarondeep’s squad finished a crushing 17th out of 24 teams. Internet critics tore them apart, calling their online success a fluke. In professional video games, roster swaps after a loss are standard practice. Instead, Aarondeep and his teammates doubled down on their bond.
That gamble paid off. Outlasting the world’s best in a brutal 11-match final in Call of Duty: Warzone, Aarondeep, known globally by his gamer tag “Cythe,” clinched the championship. In doing so, the Surrey native became the first Sikh champion in the Esports World Cup’s history.
“From going last to winning it all, it was a crazy feeling,” Aarondeep says. “My teammates and I couldn’t even process it.”
Aarondeep’s journey began at age three, watching his older brother Gavin play Call of Duty in their Surrey living room. But turning a pastime into a high-paying career requires discipline that rivals that of traditional athletics.
Leading up to Paris, Aarondeep balanced criminology classes at Douglas College with five hours of intense daily team practice. While many elite gamers rely on energy drinks to stay sharp, Aarondeep relies on natural stamina and strict routines.
“Every day from February through August, we played at least five hours straight,” Aarondeep explains. “People don’t see it as tedious, but when you’re up against the top 30 players in the world, all of whom want to win as badly as you do, making split-second decisions for hours takes a heavy toll on your brain.”
When practice ended, the real work began. Aarondeep spent another two hours each evening studying video footage (“VODs”) of opposing teams, taking tactical notes on an iPad to analyze opponents” movements and exploit their weaknesses.
In professional esports, teams rarely last. Aarondeep’s squad, originally named “AAA” because all three members’ first names start with A, broke the mold. Formed online in 2021 alongside Ashton “Bigman” Ezard from Toronto and Anthony “Anziety” Moran from California, the trio spent four years grinding through victories and humiliating losses.
Their unshakeable team chemistry caught the eye of G2 Esports, one of the most dominant global gaming franchises, which signed the roster in February 2026. The contract provided salary stability, analytical coaching, and a high-intensity boot camp in Germany just before the Paris finals.
Inside the game, Aarondeep plays as the team’s “Anchor” and Co-In-Game Leader, serving as the squad’s tactical quarterback. While teammates charge into frontline gunfights, Aarondeep’s role is survival and strategy: holding high ground, gathering resources, and making split-second calls that guide the team into the winning final circle.
Growing up in a South Asian household where traditional paths such as law, business, or medicine are heavily emphasized, choosing competitive gaming wasn’t an easy sell.
“No South Asian person I knew was a professional gamer, so I didn’t have anyone to look up to,” Aarondeep shares. “Before, my family thought I was wasting my time because it wasn’t normal in our community. But nowadays, they are so supportive. They’ve really opened their minds.”
That support peaked on the night of the grand final. As 400,000 fans worldwide watched the live stream, Aarondeep’s family back home in Surrey gathered at the local Gurdwara for a paath (prayer), watching their son make history in real time.
“I keep my hair unshorn, and I’m used to being the only visible Sikh in these spaces around the world,” Aarondeep reflects. “I felt no pressure to represent my background because Punjabi youth are built to handle high expectations. But my main message to kids coming up is to always maintain balance. Video games are a great escape, but you have to make sure you’re building a strong life in the real world, too.”
Now back in Surrey, Aarondeep is staying grounded. Between criminology classes and gearing up for his next major tournament in Las Vegas, he’s focused on personal goals: improving his fitness, saving for his own home, and mastering how to tie a traditional pagri (turban).
“My ultimate goal is to build my brand, Cythe, and remain at the very top of the world for as long as I can,” he says.
With a world title already secured at 21, he is just getting started.
