South Africa’s competitive gaming scene reached an exciting finale at Canal Walk as Hyprop’s SHIFT Gaming Experience crowned its national champions across three gaming titles.
The tournament series brought together gamers, spectators and gaming enthusiasts across eight Hyprop shopping centres, attracting 42,327 competitors and visitors to its gaming arenas.
At the national finals, Ethan Luck, known as Nova, claimed the Beat Saber title. Mogamat Zaid April, competing as Zaid April, was crowned EA FC 26™ Football champion, while Jayden Devlal secured victory in Brawlhalla.
The results marked the culmination of a nationwide gaming series that combined competition, live entertainment and opportunities for players to test their skills in front of an audience.
Three Games. Three National Champions.
The national finals at Canal Walk placed three gaming titles in the spotlight, each with its own champion.
- Beat Saber: Ethan Luck, known by his gamertag Nova.
- EA FC 26™ Football: Mogamat Zaid April, competing as Zaid April.
- Brawlhalla: Jayden Devlal.
Their victories capped a tournament series that brought competitive gaming to shopping centres across Hyprop’s portfolio.
The EA FC 26™ Football tournament attracted particularly strong interest, with 2,029 gamers registering to compete. After the qualifying rounds, just 12 finalists remained to battle for the national title at Canal Walk.
R350,000 in Prize Money Raises the Stakes
Beyond the competition itself, the SHIFT Gaming Experience offered a substantial prize pool.
A total of R350,000 in prize money was awarded throughout the tournament series. According to Hyprop, this made SHIFT Gaming Experience South Africa’s biggest gaming tournament.
The EA FC 26™ Football final featured a R50,000 prize pool, shared among the top four finishers.
These rewards added another dimension to the tournament, giving competitors more than bragging rights as they progressed through the series.
Bringing Competitive Gaming Into Shopping Centres
For Hyprop, SHIFT Gaming Experience is about more than crowning winners. It is also about bringing gaming communities together and making competitive play more accessible to the public.
Christie Stanbridge, Hyprop’s Brand & Campaigns Marketing Manager, highlighted gaming’s ability to connect people through competition, shared interests and the excitement of discovering new titles.
“Gaming has a remarkable ability to draw people together, whether they are competing, cheering on friends or simply discovering a new title for the first time,” says Stanbridge.
She explained that hosting professionally run tournaments in shopping centres gives players a platform to test their skills before a live audience.
The response across the eight-mall series, she added, demonstrated the appetite for these experiences.
The format also allows spectators to become part of the action, whether they are supporting friends, following the competition or discovering competitive gaming for the first time.
Canal Walk Hosts the National Finale
Hosting the national finals was a significant moment for Canal Walk, which welcomed finalists and members of the gaming community for the closing event.
Mandy Bellamy, General Manager of Canal Walk, said the centre was proud to host the finale after a series that attracted players and spectators from across the country.
She pointed to the energy in the arena, the standard of competition and the support from spectators as highlights of the event.
Bellamy also expressed the centre’s intention to build on the tournament’s success and make the experience even bigger in 2027.
What Comes Next for SHIFT Gaming?
With three national champions crowned, thousands of participants and visitors involved, and R350,000 awarded across the tournament series, SHIFT Gaming Experience has demonstrated the reach of competitive gaming across Hyprop’s shopping centres.
The series connected players and spectators through a shared passion for gaming while giving competitors a platform to showcase their abilities.
With plans to build on the experience for 2027, the next chapter could bring even more opportunities for South African gamers to compete, connect and take their skills to the next level.
The SHIFT Gaming Experience tournaments were operated by ACGL.
