From the Fighting Cup to the EA FC 26™ Mall Final, Johannesburg players set the standard for the season ahead.
Rosebank Mall opened the 2026 MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience drawing competitors across EA FC 26™, Beat Saber, the Fighting Cup and the Keyboard Rebuild Race. With R350,000 in total prizes on the line across the eight-mall series – and a place at the Canal Walk National Finals in August going to the top finishers – the opening weekend set a sharp competitive tone.
On the EA FC 26™ pitch, Imraan Williams (24) claimed the Mall Final, taking home a R2,500 Rosebank Mall gift card and a place in the National Football Final on 30 August at Canal Walk. Lamdile Mthiyane (22) finished second, winning a R1,500 gift card, and Zahir Ahmed Patel (22) took third with a R1,000 gift card.
Now in its fourth year, the MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience has become one of the biggest mall-based gaming tournaments in the country. The 2026 series spans eight venues and carries a R350,000 total prize pool, with the National Football Final and Beat Saber National Final both scheduled for Canal Walk in August. For the EA FC 26™ Mall Final winner at Rosebank, the stakes were immediate: a direct place in that national showdown, competing against qualifiers from across the country for a share of R50,000. That context was not lost on the players who showed up across three days to earn it.
And the winners in the inaugural round are…
EA FC 26™
- 1st Place: Imraan Williams (24) – R2,500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card – qualifies for National Football Final
- 2nd Place: Lamdile Mthiyane (22) – R1,500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
- 3rd Place: Zahir Ahmed Patel (22) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Beat Saber
Orwin de Beer (19) from Centurion recorded the top score across the three-day event, claiming a R1,000 Rosebank Mall gift card and a berth in the Beat Saber National Final on 30 August.
Fighting Cup
Friday – Brawlhalla
- 1st Place: Jaden Devlal (19) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
- 2nd Place: Amro Ahmed – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Saturday – Tekken
- 1st Place: Tebogo Dhlamini (21) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
- 2nd Place: Sherwynne Steyn (29) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Sunday – Street Fighter 6
- 1st Place: Hlulani Ndlovu (22) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
- 2nd Place: Tiyani Nkuna (23) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Fastest Lap
- Friday: Yasheen Govind (27) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
- Saturday: Kamogelo Ntseare (22) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
- Sunday: Jonathan Ackerman (20) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Keyboard Rebuild Race
- Friday: Lesego Mosikare (24) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
- Sunday: Bongani Nxumalo (26) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
The MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience continues at The Glen from 26 to 28 June. Visit acgl.gg/mtnshift to enter online or sign up in-mall.
Remaining Tournament Dates & Venues:
- The Glen – Online Qualifier: 21 Jun | In-Centre Event: 26 – 28 Jun
- Table Bay Mall – Online Qualifier: 5 Jul | In-Centre Event: 10 – 12 Jul
- Clearwater – Online Qualifier: 25 Jul | In-Centre Event: 31 Jul – 2 Aug
- Capegate – Online Qualifier: 9 Aug | In-Centre Event: 14 – 16 Aug
- Canal Walk – Online Qualifier: 16 Aug | In-Centre Event: 26 – 30 Aug
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Author: Neke Ndlovu from Angelfish PR & Events on behalf of Hyprop.
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