Almost 500 student gamers are battling through the qualification rounds ahead of the Split 2 Finals at UP-Tuks in October.
Pretoria, South Africa (09 September 2026) – Forget the textbooks for a moment. South Africa’s university gamers are putting their controllers, keyboards and headsets to work.
The race for a place at the Varsity Esports Split 2 Finals is heating up, with almost 500 student gamers currently battling through playoff rounds across university campuses around the country.
The survivors will make their way to the University of Pretoria’s UP-Tuks Rembrandt Hall on 2 and 3 October, where two days of competitive gaming, entertainment and plenty of bragging rights will be on the cards. Now in its second year, Varsity Esports gives university teams two chances during the academic year to fight their way towards the rAge Grand Finals in November.
Split 1 and Split 2 have their own qualification stages and finals, with the strongest teams and players eventually earning their spots in the Grand Finals playoffs.
And if the first split was anything to go by, the competition is going to be anything but casual.
At the Split 1 Finals at Stellenbosch University in May, Emeris took the EA FC 26 title, while Stellenbosch University’s TaMATIES beat EM Substitutes 3-1 in Rocket League to secure the top seed for the rAge playoffs.
Valorant delivered another tight contest, with Stellenbosch’s ODIN edging UP-Tuks Capitals 2-1 in the final.
Now the attention turns to Pretoria, where the Split 2 Finals will once again feature EA FC 26, Rocket League and Valorant.
But there will be plenty happening away from the screens too.
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Entry is free, although spectators will need to register for a ticket in advance through AetherPass. Tickets are sent to the attendee’s email address and must be presented on arrival, with no entry permitted without a valid ticket.
Marnus van Huyssteen from ASEM speaks about the growth of esports.
“Esport is growing rapidly in South Africa with more people appreciating the sporting and entertainment value of it. More student gamers are signing up to participate in the Varsity Esports competition and attendance at our events is growing steadily.”
The tournament is now officially recognised within South Africa’s university sports ecosystem, with 2026 marking its second season following the inaugural campaign in 2025.
And the stakes have gone up. Prize money is now on par with major Varsity Sports competitions, with R200,000 going to the winners, R100,000 to the runners-up and R50,000 for third place. There is also R90,000 up for grabs among the top players and teams across the three titles.
What was once easy to dismiss as simply students spending too much time gaming has evolved into a national university competition with serious prize money, sponsors and a potential pathway into professional esports.
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