It’s a wrap. Tasty and filled with bite-sized edible pieces. And hopefully it sates your hunger just a little. Yes, it’s the SA Gaming News Wrap.
Tonight (17 May in case you arrive here tomorrow), sees the Black Ops IIII reveal event. You can catch it unfold here from 7pm.
Some local interest articles you may have missed recently:
- Esports Central: VS Gaming Masters Dota 2 Leg 2 results wrap-up
- Esports Central: Hearthstone balance changes May 2018
- Esports Central: South African Rostermania
- Esports Central: Goliath Gaming FIFA player heading to FIFA Global Series Playoffs
- Esports Central: VS Gaming Overwatch Leg 2 Prem Div. results wrap-up
- Esports Central: VS Gaming Leg 2 results wrap-up
- Esports Central: Interviewing zerOch4Nce about Sinister5’s new CS:GO roster
- Esports Central: Interviewing the new Energy eSports CS:GO academy team
- Esports Central: Aperture Gaming CS:GO roster changes
- Critical Hit: Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Reveal – Here I come!
- Energy Esports: [Photos] MSi Fan Day
- Game Nation: South Africa’s best young CS:GO Players
- GLHF: Castaway off to SEA
- MWEB GameZone: South African developed game, Semblance, wins Excellence in Game Design award
- NAG: The Monster Hunter film starts production in September this year in sunny South Africa
- NAG: Local indie game Semblance makes it big in Japan
- Red Bull: How to get spotted and be the next SA esports star
- SA Gamer: Semblance is big in Japan, wins Excellence in Game Design Award
- SA Gamer: Will the real champions of the VS Gaming FIFA eWorld Cup please stand up
Upcoming Events
ACGL have online tournaments happening over the course of this weekend and into next week, including Fortnite, Call of Duty, Rocket League and more. All the necessary details and registration pages are available here. Additionally, registrations are open for May’s ‘Minor LANs’ for FIFA 18, Injustice 2 (both 19 May) and Call of Duty (26 May).
This coming weekend (and on) has the following to keep you entertained:
- Xbox Playdates ZA have the following May play dates on the agenda. Join them every Wednesday from 8pm and selected Fridays from 9pm. You can get more information here about the regular gaming play dates for Xbox One players.
- 23rd- NHL 18 (3v3) (EA Access)
- 25th – F1 2017 (Monaco)
- Mettlestate is hosting the ROG Valkyrie League for CS:GO currently. You can catch two matches a week from the tournament every Wednesday from 7pm until 30 May. Tune in to the action here.
- Arnold Classic at Sandton Convention Centre from 18 to 20 May will be featuring esports. Details are not overly clear but there are fighting games, FIFA 18, Fortnite and Hearthstone planned. A gaming schedule can be found here, with additional event details here.
- ACGL and their partners are hosting FIFA 18 and Injustice 2 tournaments in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Gauteng on 19 May. Cash prizes are up for grabs, and full details can be found here. The Port Elizabeth leg incorporates the Plan-G fighting games community gathering.
- GeekFest 2018 is on this weekend (19 and 20 May) at Montecasino. There are a number of activities happening over the two days with details available here.
Remember to keep these days open for some upcoming action a little further in the future:
- 29 June to 1 July 2018: Rush
- 27 to 29 July 2018: EGE
- 14 to 16 September 2018: Comic Con Africa
- 5 to 7 October 2018: rAge
Competitions & Giveaways
- MWEB GameZone: Win an awesome God of War hamper worthy of the gods
- SA Gamer: Free Games Vrydag – Far Cry 5 (PS4)
Sales & Discounts
Arnold Classic
This weekend, esports makes a showing at the Arnold Classic event. Yes, the “I’ll be back” Arnold. And yes, esports. In South Africa.
The press release (below) never really details what is happening but there will be fighting games, FIFA 18, Hearthstone and Fortnite on the agenda. You can also engage with the people on site about how you can get involved in esports. Just be aware that there is an entry fee to the event which seems to start at R200 per person.
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Esports to be showcased at the Arnold Classic Africa 2018
The Arnold Sports Festival is the largest series of multi-sport events in the world and the local leg under the banner, Arnold Classic Africa, takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 18-20 May. This year, for the first time ever, South African esports will be represented and the public can look forward to an interactive gaming hub likely to impress die-hard gamers and convert the curious.
Local esports market burgeoning
Quick recap for those that are in the dark, esports is online competitive gaming and has soared globally from being a fun pastime to an internationally recognised sport. It allows for individual or team play and the last decade has seen multi-million Rand tournaments, the rise of the sponsored pro-gamer and the rapid growth of viewership, rivalling some of the biggest traditional sports in the world. The most common esports titles being played professionally in South Africa are Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and FIFA.
Immersive and interactive gaming experience
In partnership with Esports Industry South Africa and BMi Sports Info, NiBBLE Esports and Ark Gaming will showcase a new, emergent mobile esports environment, as well as console gaming, racing simulations, through to the ‘hard-core’ PC gaming experience. The activation promises giveaways, competitions and virtual reality immersion allowing everyone to get a taste of the local esports world and see what the future holds for young aspiring e-athletes.
“The Arnold Classic Africa serves as our platform to collaboratively showcase part of the esports culture and educate South Africa on the opportunity this sport provides,” says NiBBLE founder, Keegan Stewart.
“We have merged entertainment, fun, community and passion and invite everyone attending the sports festival to immerse themselves into the unlimited possibilities of the fantastical world or the competitive virtual football field.”
Multi-career opportunities in esports
Esports offers many avenues to participate in, such as live-streaming, commentary (you could be the esports version of Martin Tyler), becoming the next YouTube sensation, earning millions of Rand in tournament prize money, becoming an esports entrepreneur and starting your own organisation, or using your talent as a video editor, designer, writer or musician to create great esports content that is continuously being consumed by fans.
“The gaming environment offers a virtual home to every person irrespective of gender, race, age, demographic or disability,” says Ark Gaming founder, Deen Moodley. “It can bring communities together and encompasses more than just ‘entertainment’ but a social, educational and competitive experience that creates and establishes friendships, team building and mentorship.”
Public can expect a high-tech, gaming extravanganza
South African esports teams place in the top 1% of players in the world and there are less barriers to entry as a professional as evidenced by the recent VS Gaming Festival at Montecasino where 16 year old Thabo Moloi and Shiaan Rugbeer each walked off with R400,000 in cash and a spot in the FIFA Global Series Playoffs later this year.
“The Arnold Classic is a great opportunity for esports to sit alongside numerous sporting codes and showcase everything that makes the sport the global phenomenon that it is,” says Esports Industry South Africa co-founder Chris Heaton.
“We want to help bring competitive online gaming into the mainstream and allow our local industry to thrive. NiBBLE Esports and Ark Gaming will be presenting a high-tech, gaming extravaganza that is sure to please and attract new fans to esports.”
Get down to the Sandton Convention Centre this weekend and let NiBBLE Esports and Ark Gaming entice you into the world of gaming and competitive esports.
More details here: http://esportsindustrysa.com/arnold-classic-africa-2018/
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Coverage Elsewhere:
Kenya
Kenyan female Tekken 7 player, Sylvia ‘Queen Arrow’ Wahome, has become the region’s “first recruited female esports pro gamer” when she was recruited by US-based esports team XiT Wounds recently.
First Female Esports pro gamer in Kenya and East Africa https://t.co/svzCiAEP7A pic.twitter.com/Wk4wZuyJDC
— Gaming for Kenya (@gaming4kenya) May 15, 2018
Jengo
Locally developed game Jengo has a demo available. It also needs your help to see development through, so go and support the crowdfunding campaign today.
You asked for it, demanded it, dreamed about it… So here it is! Jengo's demo is free to download!https://t.co/sUZJd8bNps
PS: "Download demo" button on the right side of the page#indiegames #indiedev
— Jengo The Game (@Jengo_TheGame) May 14, 2018
Videos
Glitched S02E02 – God of War Review, Nintendo Labo, Gaming Forum 2018
by GLITCHED By MWEB GameZone
Bravado Gaming at the 2018 VS Gaming FIFA Festival
by Bravado Gaming
VS Gaming FIFA Festival 2018
by Fortress of Solitude
https://youtu.be/0sTkxTMEWxI
Plan-G Gaming
by Plan-G.TV
You can find out about even more events happening in South Africa in our events calendar. If you want all the news about goings on in South Africa, simply click on the SA flag to be whisked to the most comprehensive coverage of South African gaming that you will find on the internet. You may just be surprised by how much is happening around the country.
Know of anything gaming related happening or happened in South Africa? Drop us an email at info@zombiegamer.co.za and we will do our best to cover it.
