Red Bull Kumite South Africa will bring together 16 of the best Street Fighter competitors to battle live for the bragging rights of winning the first major Street Fighter 6 tournament. 15 players will be invited directly, with one additional player qualifying through a Last Chance Qualifier. This year’s event will be held across the 1st and 2nd of July, with the main stage being an enclosed cage where opponents will be locked in until a victor is found! 1,000 fans can attend the LAN finals, which will be streamed live directly from the University of Pretoria.

Red Bull Hit the Streets 2022 champion Jabhi “JabhiM” Mabuza commented, “Red Bull Kumite coming to South Africa is MASSIVE! For years, Africans couldn’t travel to showcase their skills to the world due to visa issues and money; now the world is coming to us. Our local players will be very happy to play in an internal tournament for the very first time with international commentary. I am very excited to see how my brothers and sisters react to the news and to see their faces when they play in the tournament at the last chance qualifiers.”

The players who will be participating in the standout tournament will be announced in the coming weeks. There will be 15 direct invitees, with the 16^th player qualifying through a Last Chance Qualifier. Prospective players can sign up for their chance to participate in Red Bull Kumite South Africa here.

Fans from all over the world can attend the live finals at the University of Pretoria Sports Centre to see some of the biggest names in the fighting game community come together to battle. Tickets will be on sale from 17:00 on the 12th of May and can be purchased at Computicket.  

Originally held in Paris from 2015 to 2018, the prestigious competition was moved to Japan in 2019 as a nod to ‘the spiritual home to Street Fighter’. In 2021, Red Bull Kumite took place in London and Las Vegas before arriving in South Africa in 2023.

This event has joined forces with industry-leading partners to bring the very best hardware to competitors. Red Bull Kumite South Africa welcomes AGON by AOC, the global leaders in gaming monitors, as Official Monitor Partners for this event, bringing exceptional visual clarity with ultra-high resolution rates to competitors.

Watch the Red Bull Kumite South Africa event live on July 1 and July 2 on Twitch and YouTube.

Vodacom 4U has come on board to sponsor and host three major tournaments at Rush on PC, console and mobile platforms across three impressive esports stages. The three tournaments are:

• Fortnite 1 vs. 1 on mobile
• FIFA 18 1 vs. 1 on PS4
• CS:GO 5 vs. 5 on PC

“In a world that’s constantly accelerating, cutting-edge technology is no longer an exception – it is expected,” says Ulanova Visser, Marketing Director at Vodacom 4U.  “Vodacom 4U has responded to these technological trends and provides a youth-oriented service and experience in our 81 stores nationwide. To this end, associating with youth relevant events and being where they are, is core to us anchoring our position as the go-to channel for all of their technology needs. Hence our involvement with Rush esports seems a natural fit.”

“We are very excited to be part of the phenomenal esports growth trends and to see where this journey takes us as a brand.”

According to Visser, IOT, connectivity (fibre and mobile) and a high demand for access to data makes Vodacom 4U the right choice for gamers no matter what device they use, as the brand can offer connectivity to all.”

Registrations for these tournaments will be opening on Friday 1 June on www.rushesports.co.za.  Entrance to any of the tournaments is free for competitors, although spectators supporting the players will be required to pay an entrance fee.

If you’re a professional esports player, someone who just wants to have fun and see how good you are, or even a parent looking to find out more about your child’s obsession, Rush will have something for you.

So come and experience the energy and excitement of live esports first-hand!

EVENT DETAILS:

When is Rush 2018?

29 June – 1 July 2018

Friday: 10am-7pm | Saturday: 9am-7pm | Sunday: 9am-4pm

Where is Rush 2018?

Sun Arena, Time Square, Pretoria

How do I buy tickets to Rush 2018?

Tickets to Rush will be on sale on Friday 1 June at all Computicket outlets countrywide and online. Tickets will also be on sale at the door.

Day Pass (valid for entry for one day only): R60

Weekend Pass (valid for entry for all three days): R100

How do I stay connected?

To stay up to date with all the Rush announcements and additional info, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel NAG or go to www.rushesports.co.za.

Brought to you by the team behind the ever-popular rAge expo, Rush will host several different esports tournaments and activities over the course of three adrenaline-filled days. This multi-tournament, multi-platform, multi-game event gives visitors the opportunity to experience the exciting world of competitive gaming first-hand. Visitors to Rush will be able to see and experience the esports phenomenon live, meet and greet the participating teams and players, watch SA’s top gamers compete on-stage, and be a part of the fast-growing global esports audience.

Over the past two years, the growth of viewership for esports has been tremendous. According to SuperData, more than 258 million unique viewers per month watched popular esports titles throughout 2017, with League of Legends remaining the most-viewed esports game throughout the year.

Sam Nordmark, a freelance esports writer who focuses on CS:GO and Dota 2, says that 2018 will be another big year for esports. The industry is experiencing the most prosperous period in its history. Following a year of record expansion in 2017, esports is expected to near $1 billion in revenue by the end of 2018, according to market research firms SuperData and NewZoo.

If you’re a professional esports player, someone who just wants to have some casual fun and see if you’ve got a knack for this, or even a parent looking to find out more about your child’s obsession, Rush will have something for you.

When is Rush 2018?

29 June – 1 July 2018

Friday: 10am-7pm | Saturday: 9am-7pm | Sunday: 9am-4pm

Where is Rush 2018?

Exhibition Hall 1, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.

How do I buy tickets to Rush 2018?

Tickets to Rush will be on sale from 1 May at all Computicket outlets countrywide and online. Tickets will also be on sale at the door.

Day Pass (valid for entry for one day only): R60

Weekend Pass (valid for entry for all three days): R100

How do I stay connected?

To stay up to date with new announcements and additional info, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or go to www.rushesports.co.za.

Companies interested in exhibiting at or being a part of Rush can call 011 704 2679 or email rush@nag.co.za.

McDonald’s Virtual LaLiga eSports touches down in Spain as the first major project from LaLiga eSports. In association with the Professional Videogame League (Liga de Videojuegos Profesional; LVP), Mediapro’s strategic partner in the field of electronic sports, and officially part of the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series on the Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018, the goal is to transform this ambitious tournament into the hallmark competition in Spain.

This domestic competition will select LaLiga’s Spanish representatives for the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs in June, which leads to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018. The Playoffs will be the gateway to the FIFA eWorld Cup, the tournament where the EA Sports FIFA world champion will be crowned

The competition will consist of an online qualification stage and an in-person final stage and will include Xbox and PlayStation categories. The first stage, which kicks off on 19 March, will be open to all gamers over the age of 16 and will be played entirely online on ArenaGG, the LVP gaming platform. Thirty-two places at the in-person stage – 16 per Xbox and 15 per PlayStation – will be up for grabs.

The second part of the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on 16 April, will be played in person at the LVP venue in Barcelona. Sixteen players per platform will compete each week in straight knockout rounds to attain national glory. The winner of each event will claim a sport in the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs. Players can register at: www.virtuallaligaesports.com

Furthermore, McDonald’s will organise an exclusive tournament in which the highest-placed participant will obtain one of the 16 places at the McDonald’s Virtual LaLiga eSports final stage.

This competition will feature McDonald’s as LaLiga’s main partner in the eSports universe. Additionally, El Corte Ingles, Allianz Hyunday and Orange will also be involved in LaLiga’s first foray in the world of eSports.

Mediapro and the Professional Videogame League (LVP) joined forces in 2016 to professionalise, expand and promote eSports, making the LVP the leading eSports competition in Spain, and raising its international profile with competitions in Argentina.

rAge…explained

rAge is South Africa’s biggest annual video gaming, computer, technology and geek culture exhibition. Over the course of this past weekend tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans descended on the venue for three days of gaming, technology, gadgets, pop culture and geek lifestyle entertainment. If it sounds like geek heaven, then best believe that it is!

The rAge Experience

Being a first time attendee I had an idea of what it was about however having an idea and actually experiencing something are two different things. People attending had the chance to engage in a number of activities that included buying new games and consoles, chatting with the local comic book artists, and taking selfies with their favourite cosplayers. The show was a glimpse into the future, in fact it has always been about trying out new things and getting some hands-on time before you make your purchasing decisions.

Many call it the event of the year, where you can escape your reality for a single day or even the whole weekend. rAge provides a platform to touch and feel, try and experiment. It is the place to go each year to see all the latest gaming related goodies presented in an accessible way and be surrounded by people who all share the same passion.

eSports

One of the biggest draws at this year’s event was the launch of Africa’s first eSports Branding Summit GAMeS (Global Assembly Marketing eSports), in partnership with rAge. The half-day event explored opportunities eSports presents to South African business and how those can capitalise on the eSports phenomenon, which is taking millennial audiences by storm across the globe.

Mlondi Mashinini, GAMeS summit programme director, said eSports research from SuperData projects show that the total worldwide market for eSports will reach $910 million in 2016. The largest eSports prize pool was US$20.77 million at this year’s The International 6 Dota 2 competition with the largest audience being the 334 million people who watched the 2015 League of Legends World Championships.

Eight Multi Gaming Organisations (MGOs) took part in the Telkom Digital Gaming League Masters tournament, fielding different teams for the two games, competing for South Africa’s largest Esports cash prize pool in history – R1 million.

“Telkom is thrilled to be involved Esports – this weekend’s tournament has proven how its popularity is growing in South Africa. We are hoping this will only continue and the R1 million prize pool for the finals only shows our commitment to the industry and the sport,” says Jacqui O’Sullivan, Group Executive Communication & Brand Marketing for Telkom.

The prize pool breakdown is as follows:

CS:GO

• First place: Bravado Gaming – R200, 000
• Second place: CarboN eSports – R90, 000
• Third Place: Damage Control – R50, 000
• Fourth Place: Flipsid3 Tactics – R40, 000
• Fifth and sixth: Aperture Gaming and White Rabbit Gaming – R35,000
• Seventh and eighth: Veneration E-Sports and Xperts@Total.Chaos – R25,000

Dota 2

• First place: White Rabbit Gaming – R200, 000
• Second place: Bravado Gaming – R90, 000
• Third Place: Aperture Gaming – R50, 000
• Fourth Place: CarboN eSports – R40, 000
• Fifth and sixth: Flipsid3 Tactics and Damage Control – R35,000
• Seventh and eighth: Veneration E-Sports and Xperts@Total.Chaos – R25,000

The Digital Gaming Championship (DGC) also took place over the weekend, where 500 of the best competitors from the seven leagues have been invited to take part. The following teams and individuals secured titles during the DGC:

• Counter Strike: Global Offensive: eN.Heat
• Dota 2: EXDEE Dota 2
• League of Legends: Ventus Gaming
• Battlefield 4: Pulse.Evolve
• Call of Duty Black Ops 3 (PC): cbN-Carbon-COD
• Call of Duty Black Ops 3 (PS4): eN. eN F34R
• Hearthstone: Alan “gas” Gaskon

Big money and big business this clearly is. Can’t wait to see what the next installment has in store.