South African tournament organizer Mettlestate is kicking off the year in the best way possible...by unleashing a bunch of Cash Cups for local gamers to compete in. Let's dive straight in and check out the first Mettlestate Cash Cups of 2026!

We aren't starting right away this week, with the Mettlestate Cash Cups beginning on Thursday and also taking place on Saturday. These one-day events are made possible by sponsors such as PC Builder, ASUS, and Mentos.

Check out the most important details below, including format, registration link, start date, and times.

• Marvel Snap Cup - 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 8 January 2026, at 19:30.
• eFootball Cup - 1v1 tournament starting on Thursday, 8 January 2026, at 19:30.
• Pokemon Pocket Cup - 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 10 January 2026, at 14:00.
• EA FC Mobile Cup - 1v1 tournament starting on Saturday, 10 January 2026, at 14:00.

Please note: The information about the Cash Cups above has been sourced from the Mettlestate event page. All times in the list below are in SAST. The tournament organizer may add more events at short notice, so check their page periodically for updates.

Registration for these tournaments closes about one to two hours before the events begin, with check-in during the hour before. All tournaments are free to enter, and feature a base prize pool of R1,000, which increases to R2,000 depending on participants’ Premium (VIP) status.​

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

Stay up to date on the latest developments in Mettlestate tournaments by following them on Twitter and joining their Discord server. 

Header image via Nuverse.