Ved "Beelzeboy" Bamb named himself after a demon; conquers the world

He named himself Beelzeboy, derived from Beelzebub – another name for Satan or chief of the devil in Christian and Jewish traditions.

But unlike his in-game name, he is quite possibly one of the most soft-spoken 24-year-old you would come across in real life.

A software developer by profession, Ved “Beelzeboy” Bamb shot to the limelight last week, winning the 2025 Pokémon Go Worlds. He earned the distinction of being India’s first world champion in the realm of esports.

“Actually, before winning, I didn’t know I would become India’s first esports world champion,” Bamb said in a conversation with The Bridge.

“I wasn’t aware that no Indian has won before. It was crazy to hear that, I was the first one,” he added.

From casual gamer to pandemic-era competitor

It was in late 2016, when Pokémon Go was launched in India, that a teenage Bamb got into playing the mobile game. Beelzeboy, for him, was just a random nickname that stood out, inspired by an anime he was watching back then.

He played the game for a couple of years before eventually moving on as academics took priority. It was only in 2020, when COVID-19 wreaked havoc, that he returned to the game.

By this time, Pokémon Go had evolved from just a game of catching Pokémons to a battle game, with the introduction of “online battle mode.”

“When the pandemic happened, they [game developers] introduced a battling feature,” recalled Bamb. “You could power build your Pokémon, select their moves, and bring three of them into battle with another player.

“And being a competitive person, I really enjoyed this mechanic and just wanted to do well in it,” he added.

Chasing the dream: National and World stage

Bamb spent the pandemic playing the game, and once Pokémon Go was introduced at the Pokémon Championship Series – a world championships of all Pokémon video games – in 2022, he knew he had to pursue it competitively.

Two years later, in 2024, Bamb won Pokémon Go’s Indian national championships and qualified for the Worlds. He was the first Indian to compete at the World Championships in the game and finished a heartbreaking fourth on debut.

That fourth-place finish earned Bamb a direct qualification to the 2025 Worlds, but the scars from his debut campaign remained.

Lower-bracket battles and mental fortitude

Much like in 2024, Bamb once again had to battle his way through the lower bracket during his title triumph.

Up against Leo “P4TOM4N” Marin of Spain in the upper bracket final, Bamb lost 1-3 in a best-of-five match and was relegated to the lower bracket final.

“Although I did get knocked down, I knew I could bounce back since last year, also I was in a similar position,” said Bamb.

“Maybe that helped because when you're concentrating on just playing the game, you don't really think much about whether or not you are in the losers' bracket or the winners' bracket or who your opponent is.

“You just know you have to play the game. And I think that mindset might be one of those things that I did better with this time and last year,” he added.

With this mindset, the Nagpur lad fought back, winning the loser bracket final 3-1 against Brazil’s LNDsRargef to book his spot in the Grand Finals.

Once again up against P4TOM4N for the world championship title, Bamb was better prepared this time.

“In the winners' finals against P4TOM4N, I was tired after a long day. It was not such a wise decision, and I played the same team in all four games, and he just outplayed me,” he explained.

“Before the Grand Finals, I had a night to prepare. So by practicing with friends, having a good night’s sleep, and good foo,d I was able to reset.

“Basically, I found a better strategy to counter his team and was able to beat him,” Bamb added.

“Need more awareness”

Last week has been a landmark one for Indian esports. Not only with Bamb winning the world championship, but it was also when the Online Gaming Bill, which bifurcated esports and real money games, gotthe President’s assent.

But Bamb feels the idea of esports as a viable career option needs more awareness.

While certain games like BGMI, FreeFire, or even Valorant have managed to create an audience base and a strong ecosystem, the likes of Pokémon Go and others have found no real takers.

This, despite there being around 250 competitors in the Indian national championships back in 2024. Four of them had qualified for the Worlds from this pool of competitors, but it was only Bamb who could fund his travel. It made him the first Indian to compete at Pokémon Go Worlds.

A year later, the situation hasn’t improved much. Bamb travelled to Anaheim, California, for the 2025 World Championships at his own cost. This time, he was joined by MasterMihir295, who also finished in the top eight.

While Bamb pocketed $20,000 with his title win, Mihir returned with $5,000.

“I feel there is still hope for a lot more awareness,” stated Bamb.

He further divides awareness into two aspects: Global and Domestic.

“One is global awareness, where these organisations (game developers and publishers) need to see India as a market which has people passionate about games, to see India as a place with a lot of potential,” Bamb explained.

“The other is to build awareness within the country for people to see it as a viable career option. Not just as a career option, but something which you can pursue as a hobby.

“I think if we do these things, the rest will just fall in place,” he added.

Bamb’s own employers are a good example of awareness in this regard.

“Last year, I had to explain to them what it was like and what I was going for,” said Bamb. “This time, they already had an idea, so it was nice.

“I feel people in general are a lot more understanding of what different things we do now, and I think it will just grow further and further,” he added.

The boy who named himself after Satan, inspired by an anime, is now a prominent name in India’s multi-million dollar esports industry. It is not always the name but the spirit you carry within that defines you.

Perhaps, Beelzeboy can be a force for good, paving the way for younger generations of gamers to chase their dreams and find their own devilishly good endings.