South African gamers looking to connect with others would do well to join one of the myriad of Facebook Groups dedicated to local gaming. Some of these groups focus on a specific title, while others are all about a preferred platform. Of course, no group would do well if it did not evolve with the times, or to meet their member’s needs.
EarlyAxes are one such Facebook Group. From its early days and its Xbox focus, it evolved into a news site and ultimately on to a tournament operator. It is now a sum of all those parts, offering its members plenty to converse over and engage in. We caught up with original founder JP Du Preez to find out more about the journey.
When did you form EarlyAxes?
EarlyAxes started out as a Facebook group meant to spread Xbox gaming news in SA in 2017. Since then it has grown and evolved into what it is today. Providing gaming news, views, reviews, leagues and tournaments across all major platforms.
Who are the main braaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnssss (or brain…) behind EarlyAxes?
Starting out we had a group of friends running it, but due to personal reasons I am the only original member left. I now have a few slaves, sorry, admins and moderators helping steer the ship. Everyone in the team adds their own bit to the project hence we are able to cover so many areas as we do.
Is EarlyAxes your first experience in tournament organisation?
It is. EAX decided to jump into the tournament organization and figured it out as we went. Having people experienced in a variety of titles did help transitioning into tournaments and leagues.
Which titles do you generally offer at events?
EAX is well known for its strong R6 Siege leagues on Xbox and PC, but we are not a one-trick-pony. We have leagues for FIFA, Rocket League, COD, For Honor and we are constantly working on expanding that list to provide for the needs of the Axers!
Do you host online or offline events and tournaments?
We currently only host online leagues and tournaments.
How regularly do you host tournaments, and where can people find out about them?
There is always a league of some sorts running at EAX. Once a season ends, we open up registration on our website: https://earlyaxes-esports.co.za/ and get the next season underway.
People can keep an eye on our FB group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/earlyaxes for the latest updates.
When is your next event?
Registration is currently open for our R6 League for both Xbox and PC.
The South African esports scene is an active one that seems to struggle for full ‘mainstream’ coverage. What do you think the community can do to help change that?
The South African gaming public, and organizations alike, tend to work against each other instead of together. The saying goes: it takes a village to raise a child. Esports in SA is the baby, and we ALL are part of the village.
Less pushing and pulling against each other and rather put all our efforts together and make the SA esports scene as great as it can be!
What would you like to see happen for the local esports scene in the future?
I firmly believe our gamers can be competitive in the esports scene worldwide. All we need to do is nurture the talent we have and build and share it. Support the local organizations and take part in their leagues. A simple entry into a league or tournament can mean so much for that organization and you never know, you might be the next big thing?
Thanks for your time – is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for your time! I hope this can shed some light on what EAX is about and hopefully we can see new faces and players joining us in the near future! To everyone out there thinking that esports is not a future, think again, take a chance, you might just find you are closer to success than you might think!
You can find EarlyAxes here:
Twitter | Facebook | FB Group | Website 1 | Website 2
If you are keen to feature in this column in the future (as a gamer, clan or industry person or company), please feel free to contact us at info@zombiegamer.co.za and we’ll think about – after you’ve sent us a sample of your braaaaaaiiiiinnnnsss.
