Another week brings another huge round of one-day Cash Cups from South African tournament organizer Mettlestate! So you don’t miss any of the local esports action, we’ve got you covered with all the essential Mettlestate Cash Cup details, so let’s get started!

Mettlestate Cash Cup details

By our count, there’s a whopping 14 Cash Cups this week, running on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday! Titles include the likes of Farlight 84, Apex Legends, Clash Royale, COD Mobile and many more.

Don’t want to miss out? Then, get all the essential details below, such as the time and date, registration link, and more for this week’s Mettlestate Cash Cups. Information was sourced via the Mettlestate event page. Times are in SAST.

• Teamfight Tactics cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Monday, 25 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Dota 2 cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Monday, 25 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Brawl Stars cup – 3v3 tournament starting on Monday, 25 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Fortnite cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 26 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Farlight 84 cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 26 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Apex Legends cup – Trios battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 26 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Rocket League Sideswipe – 1v1 tournament starting on Wednesday, 27 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash Royale cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Wednesday, 27 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Fall Guys cup – Solo battle royale tournament starting on Wednesday, 27 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash of Clans cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 28 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Dota 2 cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Thursday, 28 September 2023, at 19:30.
• COD Mobile cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Saturday, 30 September 2023, at 14:00.
• Farlight 84 cup – Quads battle royale tournament starting on Saturday, 30 September 2023, at 14:00.
• Teamfight Tactics cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 30 September 2023, at 14:00.

Don’t forget that the check-ins for these events open a few hours before they get underway. All tournaments above are free to enter and feature a base prize pool of R1,000. That increases to R2,000 depending on the top three players’ VIP status.

Prize pool distribution:

• 1st place – R500 (R1,000 with VIP)
• 2nd place – R300 (R600 with VIP)
• 3rd place – R200 (R400 with VIP)

VIP members who make it into the top three cups will also double their payout. Don’t forget to keep updated with the latest happenings for Mettlestate tournaments by following them on Twitter and joining their Discord server.

Header image via Farlight.

The post Mettlestate Cash Cups this week | 25 to 30 September 2023 appeared first on Esports Central.

Attention Rocket League esports fans! South African tournament organizer Mettlestate has announced the Rocket League Boost 1v1 Showdown event, and if you are in Gauteng and looking to earn some PC hardware, then you definitely shouldn’t miss out. Here’s what you need to know.

Rocket League Boost 1v1 details

This is a one-day event presented by Intel & MSI, taking place on LAN at the Forge Arena, which is situated at the “heart of the Mettlestate Offices” in Johannesburg. Entry is completely free of charge.

You just have to register with Mettlestate and then head to the event’s page to enter. Registrations close on 27 September 2023, and the event takes place on Friday, 29 September 2023, at 19:00 SAST. Mettlestate explains in a news post:

“Gamers, this is your time to shine! Intel & MSI are boosting the competitive Rocket League scene and giving you a chance to prove your Rocket League prowess in a 1v1 showdown that will etch your name down in esports history as the first ever Intel Rocket League boost champion. Be part of the action and seize your chance at glory. Register online today and secure your spot in the Intel Rocket League Boost!”

The prizes:

• 1st place – Intel Core i5 13600K CPU + MSI Z790 Tomahawk Motherboard
• 2nd place – Intel Core i5 13600K CPU

Don’t forget to keep updated with the latest happenings for Mettlestate tournaments by following them on Twitter and joining their Discord server.

Header image via Psyonix/Epic Games.

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Developer Valve has dropped some huge news for Dota 2 esports fans following the conclusion of the regional qualifiers for The International 2023. This year was the final Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) as we know it, as Valve waves goodbye to the DPC…

Valve stops DPC

Originally, the DPC was created to determine invites to the annual The International and has been running since 2017. In a recent blog post, Valve noted that the DPC brought with it a set of rules and regulations and that the cost of all this was that Dota 2 esports has “grown less varied, and ultimately much less fun.”

The TLDR of all of this is that Valve is stopping the DPC, and The International going forward will move back to some sort of invite system once again, with the specifics yet to be determined. Yes, don’t worry, there will be a The International 2024!

Valve talks DPC and explains its decision:

“Before we introduced these constraints, the world of competitive Dota was healthier, more robust and more varied than the one we have now. Events used to be less rote and more creative, and there was more room in the calendar for them. Everything was open for exploration: event length and themed venues and team participation and even the basic assumptions of tournament design.

There was a beautiful unregulated insanity to it all — casual house parties and oyster prize pools coexisted alongside the Dota Asia Championships and one-off invitationals. It would be too simplistic to say that the slow drift of the Dota competitive scene away from this focus on fun and creativity towards the sterile, near-monoculture of today is entirely the fault of the DPC, but the DPC has generated significant pressure and incentives that led us here. The Dota community has decades of grassroots experience coming up with innovative and entertaining events, and right now the DPC is getting in the way.”

It remains to be seen how teams will get invited to The International 2024 without a DPC season. We do, however, think that this might be for the best, and tournament organizers such as ESL are already stepping up and teasing some big plans.

Header image via Valve.

The post Valve says goodbye to the Dota Pro Circuit appeared first on Esports Central.

Before The International 2023 kicks off next month,  Dota 2 esports fans have another huge, exciting tournament to enjoy. We are, of course, talking about DreamLeague Season 21, with the top-rated ESL Pro Tour (EPT) teams in attendance. Here’s what you need to know.

DreamLeague Season 21 details

Organized by ESL, the DreamLeague Season 21 tournament features a huge $1 million prize pool. At the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate, that’s roughly R19 million.

A total of 12 teams have been invited, thanks to the EPT ranking. These teams will start competing in this Group Stage of DreamLeague Season 21 this week, from 18 to 21 September 2023. The playoffs will run from 21 to 24 September, which means you have roughly a week of Dota 2 esports action to look forward to.

In the Group Stage, teams are divided into two single round-robin groups (six teams each) where all matches are best-of-two. The top two teams will advance to the upper bracket of the playoffs, while the 3rd and 4th place teams will advance to the lower bracket. The rest are eliminated. Below, you will find the teams per group of DreamLeague Season 21.

Group A teams:

• Team Liquid
• Shopify Rebellion
• Talon Esports
• 9Pandas
• Entity
• Tundra Esports

Group B teams:

• Gaimin Gladiators
• OG
• Evil Geniuses
• BetBoom Team
• Team Spirit
• Quest Esports

The playoffs, running from 21 to 24 September 2023, will feature a double-elimination bracket with the top eight teams competing. All matches are best-0f-three, with the exception of the grand final, which is best-of-five.

This is an online event played on the Europe West server. Since DreamLeague Season 20 is based in Europe, it should be nice watch times for South Africans. You can watch the stream on the ESL Dota 2 Twitch channel when matches start each day.

Header image via Valve.

The post DreamLeague Season 21 viewer’s guide appeared first on Esports Central.

Attention local esports fans! South African tournament organizer Mettlestate has another huge batch of 15 Cash Cup events to compete in this week, from 18 to 24 September 2023. There’s a whole lot of action to look forward to, so let’s just jump in!

Mettlestate Cash Cup details

This week, we have 15 cash cups, three per active day, making it a busy time for Mettlestate. From Fall Guys to League of Legends, Brawl Stars, and much more, there’s a little something for everyone. You can get all the essential details below, such as the time and date, registration link, and more for this week’s Mettlestate Cash Cups. Information was sourced via the Mettlestate event page. Times are in SAST.

• Fall Guys cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Monday, 18 September 2023, at 19:30.
• League of Legends cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Monday, 18 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Fortnite cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Monday, 18 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Dota 2 cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Tuesday, 19 September 2023, at 19:30.
• COD Mobile cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 19 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Rocket League Sideswipe cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Tuesday, 19 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Farlight 84 cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Wednesday, 20 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Brawl Stars cup – 3v3 tournament starting on Wednesday, 20 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash of Clans cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Wednesday, 20 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash Royale cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 21 September 2023, at 19:30.
• COD Mobile cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Thursday, 21 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Fall Guys cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Thursday, 21 September 2023, at 19:30.
• FIFA Mobile cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 23 September 2023, at 14:00.
• Apex Legends cup – Trios battle royale tournament starting on Saturday, 23 September 2023, at 14:00.
• League of legends cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Saturday, 23 September 2023, at 14:00.

The Cash Cup check-ins open a few hours before they get underway. All tournaments above are free to enter and feature a base prize pool of R1,000. That increases to R2,000 depending on the top three players’ VIP status.

Prize pool distribution:

• 1st place – R500 (R1,000 with VIP)
• 2nd place – R300 (R600 with VIP)
• 3rd place – R200 (R400 with VIP)

VIP members who make it into the top three cups will also double their payout. Don’t forget to keep updated with the latest happenings for Mettlestate tournaments by following them on Twitter and joining their Discord server.

Header image via Riot Games.

The post Mettlestate Cash Cups this week | 18 to 24 September 2023 appeared first on Esports Central.

Are you looking for even more CS:GO esports action to watch? Then you are in luck, as the ESL Impact League Season 4 regional divisions are kicking off this week. This is an all-female league where teams compete for their share of a prize pool and some spots in the LAN final later this year.

ESL Impact League S4 division details

There are three ESL Impact League Season 4 regional divisions, namely the European, North American and South American divisions. Alongside these divisions, there’s also an Asia qualifier with details yet to be revealed.

The all-female teams will be competing from Wednesday, 13 September 2023, to 29 October 2023, in their respective divisions. This is an online league, and the best teams from each division will make it to the ESL Impact League Season 4 LAN Final. You can check out the list of teams per division below.

European teams:

• 9Pandas Fearless
• ENCE Athena
• BIG EQUIPA
• Guild Esports
• G2 Oya
• NAVI Javelins
• Nigma Galaxy Female
• NIP Impact
• Let Her Cook
• shinigami
• YeYo
• VP.Angels

North American teams:

• Evil Geniuses Gold
• FlyQuest RED
• Hyperion
• Shimmer
• Totsugeki
• Team Karma
• Tsunami Sirens
• Cherry Bombs

South American teams:

• FURIA Esports Fe
• MIBR Female
• B4 Esports Female
• mocreias
• Cafeina
• Ravens
• DIVINA Female
• Kidisgraca

Good luck to all the teams involved! You can catch all the esports action over on the official ESL CS:GO GG Twitch channel.

Header image via ESL.

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Another week means another batch of awesome local Cash Cups from South African tournament organizer Mettlestate. In late August 2023, Mettlestate upped their game and is now, thanks to sponsors, providing ten (10) Cash Cups each week instead of the regular five, and this week, there are 15! Here’s what you need to know.

Mettlestate Cash Cup details

From some 1v1 Dota 2 to Clash of Clans and Rocket League, there’s something for everyone in this week’s Mettlestate Cash Cups! You can find all the essential details below, such as the time and date, registration link, and more for this week’s Mettlestate Cash Cups. Information was sourced via the Mettlestate event page. Times are in SAST.

• Clash of Clans cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Monday, 11 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Dota 2 cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Monday, 11 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Teamfight Tactics cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Monday, 11 September 2023, at 19:30.
• COD Mobile cup – Solo battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 12 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Rocket League Sideswipe cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Tuesday, 12 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Farlight 84 cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 12 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Brawl Stars cup – 3v3 tournament starting on Wednesday, 13 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Fortnite cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Wednesday, 13 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash Royale cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Wednesday, 13 September 2023, at 19:30.
• League of Legends cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Thursday, 14 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash of Clans cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 14 September 2023, at 19:30.
• FIFA Mobile cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 14 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Apex Legends cup – Trios battle royale tournament starting on Saturday, 16 September 2023, at 14:00.
• Clash of Clans cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 16 September 2023, at 14:00.
• Teamfight Tactics cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 16 September 2023, at 14:00.

As always, the Cash Cup check-ins open a few hours before they get underway. All the tournaments are free to enter but feature a base prize pool of R1,000. That increases to R2,000 depending on the top three players’ VIP status.

Prize pool distribution:

• 1st place – R500 (R1,000 with VIP)
• 2nd place – R300 (R600 with VIP)
• 3rd place – R200 (R400 with VIP)

VIP members who make it into the top three cups will also double their payout. Don’t forget to keep updated with the latest happenings for Mettlestate tournaments by following them on Twitter and joining their Discord server.

Header image via Supercell.

The post Mettlestate Cash Cups this week | 11 to 17 Sept appeared first on Esports Central.

Watching all the Regional Qualifiers for The International 2023 was amazing in the past month for us, as avid Dota 2 esports fans. With all the qualifiers now complete, we have the list of the eight teams that will be joining the 12 Dota 2 teams who secured invites during the DPC season.

Dota 2 TI 2023 Regional Qualifier teams

First up, a warning: if you didn’t watch the TI 2023 Regional Qualifiers live, there were some upsets, and huge teams didn’t make it to this year’s annual massive event. The biggest bloodbath was the Western Europe qualifier, with OG, Alliance and Team Secret not managing to secure spots.

In Eastern Europe, Natus Vincere failed to qualify as Virtus.pro claimed the slot, and in China, Invictus Gaming and Team Aster didn’t make the cut as they were demolished by Azure Ray, with legends such as Somnus and Fy in the roster.

You can find a list of the teams and their respective Regional Qualifiers that did make it to The International 2023 below.

• Team SMG (Southeast Asia)
• Azure Ray (China)
• Virtus.pro (Eastern Europe)
• Entity and Quest Esports (Western Europe)
• Keyd Stars and Thunder Awaken (South America)
• nouns (North America)

A big congratulations go out to the teams who made it past the critical Regional Qualifiers for The International 2023. Out of all the teams, we believe Azure Ray is the most likely to have a real shot at lifting the Aegis of Champions. Stay tuned as we will bring you all the coverage of The International 2023 in October!

Header image via Valve.

The post The 8 Regional Qualifier teams for The International 2023 appeared first on Esports Central.

Are you ready, Apex Legends esports fans? The Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2023 Championship kicks off today, 6 September 2023, and you definitely shouldn’t miss out. Here’s everything fans need to know about the ALGS 2023 Championship event in our viewer’s guide!

ALGS 2023 Championship 2023 details

The ALGS 2023 Championship event takes place at the Resorts World Arena venue in Birmingham, United Kingdom. This is a LAN event played in front of a crowd and features the best 40 teams in the world who have qualified throughout the 2023 season of the ALGS.

Teams are competing for a huge prize pool of $2 million. At the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate, that’s roughly R38.5 million!

ACGL 2023 Championship Teams:

• XSET
• DarkZero Esports
• NRG
• TSM
• Moist Esports
• Acend
• Alliance
• Fnatic
• Oxygen Esports
• LG Chivas
• Pioneers
• FaZe Clan
• ONIC Esports
• ganbare otousan
• Element 6
• REALIZE
• OpTic Gaming
• PULVEREX
• FC Destroy
• 100 Thieves
• Team Singularity
• Complexity Gaming
• DreamFire
• Sentinels
• Aurora Gaming
• ENTER FORCE.36
• BLVKHVND
• Riddle
• Tom Yum Kung
• JLINGZ Esports
• Disguised
• The Dojo
• SAF Esports
• GoNext Esports
• K1CK
• Les cités de France
• NORTHEPTION
• AREA310
• MDY White
• Iron Blood Gaming

40 teams will start in the Group Stage, split into four groups of 10 teams each. Groups will play each other in a six-game series for a total of 18 games for every team. From here, the 20 highest teams will start in the winner’s bracket, and the 20 lowest teams will start in the loser’s bracket.

In the finals of the ALGS 2023 Championship, two eight-game series will be played featuring the 20 remaining teams using a Match Point format!

You can watch every second of the awesome Apex Legends battle royale esports action on the official PlayApex Twitch channel and catch up with highlights on the ALGS YouTube channel.

Header image via EA.

The post ALGS 2023 Championship viewer’s guide appeared first on Esports Central.

South African tournament organizer African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL) has another round of giveaways for users to enjoy this month. From RAM to SSDs, Power Banks and more, ACGL’s giveaways never fail to impress, especially since entry for a chance is absolutely free, using Embers, which you earned from enjoying esports!

ACGL Ember giveaways Sept 2023

You can check out the Ember giveaways available on ACGL for the month of September 2023 below. See the Giveaways page on ACGL for more info. Click on the links below to learn more about the giveaway items.

• CRUCIAL 16GB 3200MHZ DDR4 RAM
• CRUCIAL MX500 250GB SSD
• GIZZU 242WH PORTABLE POWER STATION
• GIZZU 100W 46WH 14400MAH UPS
• ACGL DESKMAT
• ROMOSS 20K MAH 50W POWER BANK
• ROMOSS ZEUS 40K MAH 22.5W POWER BANK
• XIAOMI SMART IR SPEAKER
• XIAOMI SMART CLOCK
• OG1 HOODIE

The more Embers (ACGL-specific digital tokens) you spend on a giveaway, the higher your odds of winning. ACGL shows your odds on each giveaway, so everything is 100% transparent. Good luck to everyone who enters! ACGL will announce winners on 30 September 2023.

You can earn more Embers by playing matches, completing missions or spending money in the ACGL shop. You can earn a tonne of Embers for free with the first two options, and you can wager them in Matchfinders to double your preferred wager. South African gamers can then use Embers to purchase physical products from ACGL’s digital store and enter giveaways.

You can keep up to date with all their announcements by following ACGL on Twitter and Facebook and joining their Discord server. You can also test out the ACGL Drops Beta, which allows you to earn even more Embers by watching Twitch streams, which can then be used to enter these giveaways.

Header image via ACGL.

The post ACGL Ember Giveaways September 2023 appeared first on Esports Central.

Valve opened the floodgates for the Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test, inviting all competitive players with Prime status and an active official competitive matchmaking Skill Group recently. The developer also made a huge change to competitive Counter-Strike, reducing the number of Rounds per half!

CS2 Max 12 Rounds Per Half

For those that are completely new to Counter-Strike esports, it is important to note that for more than two decades, the max rounds per half was 15. Teams swapped after 15 rounds of play and then played until 30 rounds, with the exception of overtime, taking things further in case of a tie.

On 1 September 2023, this all changed. In the name of time-saving, and to reduce the number of uncontested rounds in a match of Counter-Strike, CS2 will now have a maximum of 12 Rounds per half in regulation time. Valve explained that:

“Over the past decade, we’ve shipped updates to the economy and weapon balance to trim the fat and reduce the number of uncontested rounds in a match of CS. Because of these changes, exciting competitive matches can be resolved with fewer rounds. And shorter matches mean players can play more, and more often. So with CS2, we’re moving to a maximum of 24 rounds in regulation time (with a 6 round overtime in case of a tie) for Premier, Competitive, and the Majors. We expect the structure and flow of matches to evolve over time as the community adapts. And we’re excited to see where they go next.

To be clear, this change will likely also be implemented by big tournament organizers such as ESL, BLAST and more, as they generally stick to the match format of a Major. In Counter-Strike 2, the max 12 rounds per half change has already been implemented in Competitive and Premier Mode. Furthermore, the first Major for CS2 will also feature this change.

Header image via Valve.

The post Valve makes huge CS2 change with max 12 Rounds per half appeared first on Esports Central.

Attention fans of Valve’s iconic team-based FPS! Counter-Strike 2 has taken a huge step towards its “Summer 2023” launch window. Developer Valve has opened the floodgates, inviting a plethora of players (almost all active, competitive CS:GO players, really) to join the CS2 Limited Test.

Counter-Strike 2 Limited Test

With the release of an overhauled Inferno, Premier Mode, CS Rating and Leaderboards in the latest Counter-Strike 2 update, Valve are inviting as many players as possible to test the game before launch.

Valve announced in a new blog post that: “We’re starting the process of inviting as many eligible players as possible to the Limited Test. To be eligible for a CS2 Limited Test invite, players must have CS:GO Prime status, an active official competitive matchmaking Skill Group, and play the majority of their official matchmaking games in one of the regions where the Limited Test is available.”

Once you receive an invite, select “enroll” and then start downloading. After you’ve completed the download, launch CS:GO in Steam and select “Limited Test” to play Counter-Strike 2!

If you don’t have access to CS2 yet, then remember you need to have played competitively in CS:GO and have a matchmaking skill group. Your account in CS:GO must also be Prime status. We do have reports of multiple South Africans enjoying CS2 already, and I’ve personally been playing for a while now…

Hope you get in! Good luck, and have fun!

Header image via Valve.

The post Valve opens CS2 Limited Test floodgates appeared first on Esports Central.

A surefire way to cure the Monday blues is to look at the Cash Cup schedule from South African tournament organizer Mettlestate each week. Local gamers won’t be disappointed with the latest batch, featuring some awesome one-day South African esports events to compete in. Here are the most important details.

Mettlestate Cash Cup Details

Since late in August, Mettlestate has upped their game and is now, thanks to sponsors, providing ten (10) Cash Cups each week instead of the regular five. From Fall Guys to Dota 2, Clash Royale, and even Farlight 84, there’s a little something for everyone.

You can find all the essential details, such as the time and date, registration link, and more for this week’s Mettlestate Cash Cups below. Information was sourced via the Mettlestate event page. Times are in SAST.

• Clash Royale cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Monday, 4 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Fall Guys cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Monday, 4 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Dota 2 cup – 1v1 ARAM tournament starting on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Farlight 84 cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Wednesday, 6 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Teamfight Tactics cup – 1v1 tournaments starting on Wednesday, 6 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Fortnite cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Thursday, 7 September 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash Royale cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 7 September 2023, at 19:30.
• FIFA Mobile cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 9 September 2023, at 14:00.
• Rocket League Sideswipe – 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 9 September 2023, at 14:00.

These Cash Cups see their check-ins open a few hours before they get underway. All the tournaments are free to enter but feature a base prize pool of R1,000. That increases to R2,000 depending on the top three players’ VIP status.

Prize pool distribution:

• 1st place – R500 (R1,000 with VIP)
• 2nd place – R300 (R600 with VIP)
• 3rd place – R200 (R400 with VIP)

Additionally, VIP members who make it into the top three cups will double their payout. Don’t forget to keep up to date with the latest happenings for Mettlestate tournaments by following them on Twitter and joining their Discord server.

Header image via FARLIGHT.

The post Mettlestate Cash Cups this week | 4 to 10 Sept 2023 appeared first on Esports Central.

This past weekend, Valorant esports fans from all around the globe watched on as the best teams in the world competed for their share of the 2,250,000 prize pool. At the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate, that’s roughly R42.7 million! Here’s what went down and who came out on top.

Valorant Champions 2023 results

In the Kia Forum venue in Los Angeles, United States, in front of a roaring crowd, the playoffs of Valornat Champions 2023 came to a thrilling conclusion.

We saw Paper Rex take down FUT Esports with a relatively clean 2-0, then scored a 2-1 victory against LOUD, the previous world champions. Paper Rex then went on to reverse-sweep Evil Geniuses in front of the US crowd to make it to the grand finals of Valorant Champions 2023.

Evil Geniuses reverse-sweep EDward Gaming 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, then beat DRX 2-0 before falling to the lower bracket against Paper Rex as mentioned previously. EG then made a fantastic comeback in the lower-bracket final to beat Brazillian powerhouse LOUD 3-2 to make it to the grand finals.

In the grand finals of Valorant Champions 2023, Evil Geniuses started on the right foot, beating Paper Rex 13-10 on Split. Paper Rex then retaliated on Ascent with a 13-11 win. However, as the crowd chanted “USA, USA, USA!” Evil Geniuses could not be denied, winning Bind 13-5 and Lotus 13-10 to claim victory.

A big congratulations go out to Evil Geniuses for decimating the competition and becoming the Valorant world champions! EG is the first North American team to win a Valorant Champions and did so with style.

Header image via Riot Games.

The post Valorant Champions 2023 results appeared first on Esports Central.

Are you ready for the next big CS:GO esports event? You are in luck, as the ESL Pro League Season 18 tournament kicks off this week! Here’s everything viewers need to know about ESL Pro League Season 18, from the schedule to teams, where to watch, and format.

ESL Pro League Season 18 details

With the release of CS2 on the horizon, we believe this might be one of the final, if not the final, ESL Pro league featuring CS:GO. The event runs from Wednesday, 30 August to 1 October 2023, when a winner will be crowned. A total of 32 teams are competing for their share of the $850,000 prize pool at Saint Julian’s, Malta, in front of a crowd. At the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate, that’s roughly R15.7 million!

The action begins with four triple-elimination format groups, with each group featuring eight teams. All matches are best-of-three. The first-place teams advance to the Quarterfinals of ESL Pro League Season 18, while the 2nd-place teams advance to the Round of 12 in the playoffs as the High Seeds. The third-placed teams in each group advance to the Round of 16 as the High Seeds, while the 4th-placed teams advance to the Round of 16 as the Low Seeds. The rest are eliminated. Check out the teams in their respective groups below.

Group A teams:

• Team Vitality
• ORKS
• NIP
• Astralis
• FURIA Esports
• Movistar Riders
• Grayhound
• GamerLegion

Group B teams:

• Heroic
• Monte
• BIG
• Rooster
• MOUZ
• MIBR
• Evil Geniuses
• ENCE

Group C teams:

• FaZe Clan
• 9z Team
• Imperial Esports
• Fnatic
• 5yclone
• M80
• Apeks
• Na’Vi

Group D teams:

• Eternal Fire
• Cloud9
• Complexity
• 9INE
• Team Liquid
• Virtus.pro
• Lynn Vision
• G2 Esports

The playoffs are a single-elimination bracket affair, with all matches being best-of-three, with the exception of the grand final, which is best-of-five. The winner of ESL Pro League Season 18 gets the lion’s share of the prize pool and direct invites to BLAST World Final 2024 and IEM Katowice 2024. You can catch all the CS:GO esports action over on the official ESL CS:GO Twitch channel.

Header image via ESL.

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We recently talked about the partnership between the South African tournament organizer African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL), and leading ISP Clear Access and its cutting-edge Quark product. Well, in September, you are in for a treat, with multiple cash cup tournaments taking place! Let’s get to the details!

ClearAccess x ACGL Cash Cups this month

For all these cash cups, the sign-up deadline is five minutes before they get underway, and check-ins open roughly an hour before the event starts. You can sign up for all of them right now if you like. There’s a guaranteed prize pool of R1,000 for each of these ClearAccess Quark ACGL tournaments, and joining them is absolutely free of charge.

You can find the most important details about these events for the month of September 2023 below. Times are in SAST, and reflect when the event gets underway. Information was sourced via the ACGL ClearAccess page.

• FIFA 23 Old Gen Cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Sunday, 3 September 2023, at 14:00.
• Brawlhalla Cup – 1v1 tournaments starting on Thursday, 7 September 2023, at 19:00.
• FIFA Mobile Cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Wednesday, 13 September 2023, at 19:00.
• Free Fire Cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 19 September 2023, at 19:00.
• Apex Legends Cup – Trios battle royale tournament starting on Wednesday, 27 September 2023, at 20:00.

You can keep up to date with all their announcements by following ACGL on Twitter and Facebook and joining their Discord server. Head to the Clear Access website to check them out and learn more about their range of products!

Header image via ACGL.

The post ClearAccess Quark ACGL Cash Cups this month appeared first on Esports Central.

One way to cure the Monday blues is to look at the Cash Cup schedule from South African tournament organizer Mettlestate each week. This week, from 28 August to 3 September 2023, there is another batch of Cash Cups (and a bit of a surprise!) that local gamers can enjoy, so let’s just jump in.

Mettelstate Cash Cup details this week

Instead of the regular five Cash Cups we are used to, Mettlestate appears to have doubled the amount of Cash Cups in the weeks ahead. Yes, there are now 10 Cash Cups from Mettlestate to enjoy this week!

Find all the essential details, such as the time and date, registration link, and more for this week’s Mettlestate Cash Cups below. Information was sourced via the Mettlestate event page. Times are in SAST.

• Clash Royale cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Monday, 28 August 2023, at 19:30.
• FIFA Mobile cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Monday, 28 August 2023, at 19:30.
• Fortnite cup – Duos battle royale tournament starting on Tuesday, 29 August 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash of Clans cup – 1v1 tournaments starting on Tuesday, 29 August 2023, at 19:30.
• Brawl Stars cup – 3v3 tournament starting on Wednesday, 30 August 2023, at 19:30.
• COD Mobile cup – Solos battle royale tournament starting on Wednesday, 30 August 2023, at 19:30.
• Dota 2 cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 31 August 2023, at 19:30.
• Apex Legends cup – Trios battle royale tournament starting on Thursday, 31 August 2023, at 19:30.
• Clash Royale cup – 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 2 September 2023, at 14:00.

Farlight 84 cup: Solos battle royale tournament starting on Saturday, 2 September 2023, at 14:00.

These Cash Cups see their check-ins open a few hours before they get underway. All the tournaments are free to enter but feature a base prize pool of R1,000. That increases to R2,000 depending on the top three players’ VIP status.

Prize pool distribution:

• 1st place – R500 (R1,000 with VIP)
• 2nd place – R300 (R600 with VIP)
• 3rd place – R200 (R400 with VIP)

Additionally, VIP members who make it into the top three cups will double their payout. Don’t forget to keep up to date with the latest happenings for Mettlestate tournaments by following them on Twitter and joining their Discord server.

Header image via EA.

The post Mettlestate Cash Cups this week | 28 Aug to 3 Sept 2023 appeared first on Esports Central.

After four The International 2023 regional qualifiers, we are down to the final two, and arguably the most exciting one for Dota 2 esports fans has to be the TI 2023 Western Europe qualifier. Here’s what you need to know about the Western Europe regional qualifier for The International 2023 so you don’t miss out on any of the action.

TI 2023 WEU Qualifier details

Starting this Sunday, 27 August 2023, the Western Europe qualifier for The International 2023 will run for four days until we have our winners on 31 August 2023. Yes, we do say “winners,” as teams will compete for two spots at the massive annual event.

The TI 2023 Western Europe qualifier features 11 teams who didn’t manage to get a direct invite to The International 2023 but did enough to get into this qualifier throughout the DPC seasons. The format is double-elimination, where all matches are best-of-three.

TI 2023 WEU qualifier teams:

• Nigma Galaxy
• Alliance
• Team Secret
• OG
• Quest Esports
• Entity
• Level UP
• Luna Galaxy
• KZ Team
• Into The Breach
• Ancient Tribe

Yes, both OG and Team Secret, alongside powerful teams such as Nigma Galaxy and Alliance, are all competing for only two spots. The rest of the teams who don’t make it to the top two will have to watch The International 2023 from the sidelines, just like the rest of us!

You can watch the TI 2023 Western Europe qualifier via the official PGL Dota 2 Twitch channel, so don’t miss out! If you can’t watch the matches live, you can always check out the VODs on the PGL YouTube channel.

Header image via Valve.

The post TI 2023 Western Europe qualifier viewer’s guide appeared first on Esports Central.

Calling all Dota 2 esports fans! Are you ready for the final The International 2023 qualifier? Then you are in luck, as starting this weekend, the TI 2023 Southeast Asia regional qualifier will begin, and teams from the region will duke it out for one singular spot at the prestigious annual event. Here’s what you need to know.

TI 2023 Southeast Asia details

The TI 2023 Southeast Asia qualifier runs at the same time as the Western Europe qualifier, which we’ve covered in a separate guide. In this qualifier, teams will compete for one spot at The International 2023. This qualifier features 13 teams who didn’t manage to get a direct invite to The International 2023 but did enough to get into this qualifier throughout the DPC seasons. The format is double-elimination, where all matches are best-of-three.

TI 2023 SEA teams:

• Execration
• Bleed Esports
• Blacklist International
• Team SMG
• Geek Fam
• Army Geniuses
• BOOM Esports
• Neon Esports
• Made in Philippines
• Myth Avenue Gaming
• SPAWN Team
• UD Vessuwan
• Vision

It will definitely be exciting to see which of these SEA teams make it to The International 2023, and we are sure many of the already-qualified teams will be watching closely. Remember, you can watch the TI 2023 Western Europe qualifier via the official PGL Dota 2 Twitch channel, so don’t miss out! If you can’t watch the matches live, you can always check out the VODs on the PGL YouTube channel.

Header image via Valve.

The post TI 2023 Southeast Asia viewer’s guide appeared first on Esports Central.

As we move ever closer to The International 2023 taking place in October this year, there are still some TI 2023 regional qualifiers to get through, offering Dota 2 esports fans some high-stakes action. This article focuses on the TI 2023 South American qualifier, so let’s get started.

TI 2023 South America qualifier

The South American region is one of only two regions in the TI 2023 qualifiers, where two spots at The International 2023 are up for grabs. This means that both the first and second-place finishers will earn a spot at the prestigious annual event!

The tournament is an online affair with PGL hosting. It runs from Tuesday, 22 August to Saturday, 26 August 2023 and features 11 qualified teams who didn’t manage to get a direct invite to The International 2023 but did enough to get into this qualifier throughout the DPC seasons. The format is double-elimination, where all matches are best-of-three.

TI 2023 SA qualifier teams:

• Infamous
• Mad Kings
• Keyd Stars
• Thunder Awaken
• Infinity
• AcatSuki
• Universitario Esports
• NoPing Esports
• Balrogs
• Qhali
• Lava Esports

You can watch the TI 2023 South America qualifier Dota 2 esports action via the official PGL Dota 2 Twitch channel, so don’t miss out!

Header image via Valve.

The post TI 2023 South America qualifier viewer’s guide appeared first on Esports Central.