On April 12, 2026, Jonathan Jude Amaral, widely known in the Indian BGMI community as the “Universal 7,” officially launched Team Apex Gaming, his new esports organisation. The announcement video, titled “It’s Time to Rise | TAGonTOP”, was released across his channels on the reveal date. The organisation’s social handle is blackheartontop, and the accompanying hashtag that spread across the community immediately was #TAGonTOP.
The launch marks the most significant player movement in Indian BGMI history: the game’s most recognisable face going from franchise player to team founder.
What Jonathan Said in the Announcement Video
The announcement video is personal. Jonathan does not open with a logo reveal. He opens with where he came from.
In the video, Jonathan speaks about starting from humble beginnings, about getting his first phone and how that early push built his drive. He describes his journey as a series of levels: Level 1 was the beginning, Level 2 was making his first wins and working hard, training, learning. Level 3, he says, was reaching the top, making his father proud, buying him his dream car, and then buying his own.
He says: “I came from humble beginnings. People who know me know the story of how I got my first phone. How that early push built a drive. But that was just Level 1. From there to my first win in the game. Nothing was easy. I worked hard, trained, learned. I think I did justice to Level 2.”
He then explains why going further was necessary, not for himself alone, but for the community. “A whole community that has given me so much, to represent them globally, I had to grow more.”
The video ends with the Team Apex Gaming reveal and a direct statement: “Team Apex Gaming is here to be on top. To be more for the community. To change how the entire industry works. So start tagging your friends and let them know, we are coming. It’s another mountain to climb, another victory that looks like hacking, and I drive to make sure we can always proudly say: on top.”
How It Got Here: GodLike, BGIS, and a Long Time Coming
Jonathan joined GodLike Esports in August 2021, arriving as part of the former TSM roster alongside Neyoo, ZGOD, ClutchGod, and Ghatak. Over more than four years, he became the face of the organisation and one of the most recognised players in the history of Indian mobile esports.
GodLike co-owner Kronten confirmed Jonathan’s departure on April 7, 2026, stating: “Jonny wanted to move forward in life, he wanted to do something different. He has made this decision for the past three to four months. He shared his future plans with me during the BGIS 2026.” Kronten also mentioned that the organisation would not be making a farewell post.
The exit had been building since BGIS 2026. During the Survival Stage in Hyderabad, Jonathan was benched for strategic reasons for the first time in his career. GodLike captain Manya clarified the decision was purely strategic. Jonathan confirmed on stream that he made the benching decision with the team’s best interest in mind, putting the squad ahead of his own position.
GodLike topped the Survival Stage standings with the lineup of Manya, Admino, Spower, and Godz. But at the Grand Finals in Chennai, which ran March 27 to 29, the team finished 5th. Jonathan had 31 finishes in 18 matches during the finals, the highest fragger on his team.
After the tournament, Jonathan posted on Instagram that fans would see “very new changes and crazy things for the future.” That was the first public signal. Within days, he confirmed on a livestream that he was leaving GodLike and building something new.
The Organisation Before the Reveal: BlackHeartOnTop
Before the April 12 launch, Jonathan quietly activated the Instagram page blackheartontop. What happened next was telling.
The page reached 150,000 followers in record time within the esports space, even before the official announcement of the organisation on April 12. The milestone came before any roster, branding, or full details were revealed.
That number, achieved with nothing more than a page name and the community’s knowledge that it belonged to Jonathan, shows what kind of pull he carries. No other esports organisation in India has achieved that kind of pre-launch traction.
The Partnership Behind the Organisation
Multiple community sources and esports journalists reported that Jonathan registered a company called Amaral Esports Pvt Ltd. He is reportedly partnering with Soham Rathod, the popular content creator known as SSR Vlogs, and at least one other co-founder to build the organisation from scratch.
Reported plans include building the competitive roster around Gunjan Thakur, known as Jelly, who was most recently with True Rippers. Jonathan and Jelly have played together before, and community reports suggest they are being reunited under the Team Apex Gaming banner. Additional names linked to the roster by community sources include Omega, Slug, Ninjaboi, and Knight, though none of these have been confirmed officially as of this writing.
The partnership with SSR Vlogs brings a content creation dimension to the organisation that goes beyond pure competitive play, which lines up with Jonathan’s stated goal of building something larger than just a team.
What This Means for BGMI Esports
Jonathan leaving GodLike is not just a roster move. It is a structural shift in how the Indian BGMI scene is organised.
The BGMI transfer window opened on April 1, 2026, and is expected to stay open for approximately 30 days. Krafton India introduced the structured transfer window in October 2025, modeled after traditional sports. It gives teams two defined windows per year to sign, release, or trade players, with rosters locking for six months after each window closes.
The next major competition on the calendar is BMPS 2026, the Battlegrounds Mobile Pro Series. Team Apex Gaming needs to register its roster through the Krafton India Esports dashboard and complete the verification process before the window closes to compete.
Jonathan entering as an owner changes things beyond the competitive side. Any team built around him carries immediate sponsor interest, viewer numbers, and community buy-in from day one. The “Jonny Army” is one of the most loyal fanbases in Indian esports, and that fanbase now follows an entirely new organisation.
For more context on the BGMI transfer window and what other moves are happening across the scene, see the BGMI Transfer Window April 2026 breakdown on TalkEsport. For Jonathan’s full journey at GodLike before the exit, the BGIS 2026 debrief on TalkEsport covers everything from the benching decision to the post-finals message that started it all.
TalkEsport does not independently verify rumours surrounding Team Apex Gaming and Jonathan Gaming’s new organisation; the information presented is based solely on what is publicly available online.
FAQ
What is Jonathan’s new organisation called? Jonathan Gaming’s new organisation is called Team Apex Gaming. The social handle is blackheartontop, and the launch hashtag is #TAGonTOP.
When was Team Apex Gaming announced? The official announcement was made on April 12, 2026, through a video titled “It’s Time to Rise | TAGonTOP.”
Why did Jonathan leave GodLike Esports? Jonathan confirmed on livestream that he wanted to move forward and build something of his own. GodLike co-owner Kronten stated Jonathan had been planning the move for three to four months before it was announced.
Who are Jonathan’s co-founders in Team Apex Gaming? Jonathan is reportedly partnering with Soham Rathod, the content creator known as SSR Vlogs, along with at least one other co-founder.
Who will play for Team Apex Gaming? Jonathan will play as the main assaulter. Gunjan Thakur, known as Jelly, is reported by community sources to be joining the roster. Other names linked include Omega, Slug, Ninjaboi, and Knight. No roster has been officially confirmed as of this writing.
How did Jonathan’s Instagram page BlackHeartOnTop grow before the launch? The page reached 150,000 followers before the official April 12 reveal, setting a record within the Indian esports space for pre-launch growth.
