On 16 August 2019, ASUS South Africa announced the inaugural ROG Invitation which, according to a rAge press release, will be South Africa’s richest short-form Counter-Strike tournament. The prize pool is $9,900 and will span a period of one month. The finals of the tournament will take place live at rAge 2019 from 27 September to 29 September 2019 at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 4 South African CS: GO elite teams – Energy Esports; Big 5 Esports, Sinister5 CS: GO and Goliath Gaming – Will compete against the top 4 ranked teams from the qualification rounds for the cash prize. Registration for the online tournament open on 16 August and teams will be able to register on the Mettlestate website. The round-robin group stage will advance the leaders of each group to the LAN finals taking place in late September 2019. The final 8 teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket at rAge 2019.
The need for Esports Investment
“ROG has invested in esports since 2006, and was the first hardware manufacturer to see the importance of being a part of the community through the creation of an inclusive ecosystem and investment in gamers and their community,” said Azin Alikhani, MEA Regional Marketing Head. Over the past decade, a professional and competitive ecosystem and the environment has enveloped and transformed video games from a casual past-time to a full-time profession that is seeing professional video game players being regarded as athletes.
“The similarities in the skills required to be a competitive gamer aren’t dissimilar to conventional professional sports. Aside from great aim and strategy, a championship esports team requires a stone-cold winning mentality, serious consistency, a lot of commitment and flawless coordination and communication,” says Juan Mouton, Marketing Manager for ASUS and Republic of Gamers South Africa. “As the world’s leading gaming hardware brand, we see it as our responsibility within South Africa to assist where we can to strengthen the credibility of esports through showcasing not only the exceptional talent and skill that exists in our country but to deliver an experience that really underlines the entertainment value of the sport. That’s the purpose of the inaugural ROG invitational and we expect the showcase to grow exponentially as we continue with this mission,” Mouton adds.
The rAge Experience
The ROG Invitational will host the finals in a live, three-day event at the Ticketpro Dome during rAge 2019. rAge is said to be the largest gaming expo in South Africa. According to rAge, 35,000 people have attended the expo over 17 years. “This annual gaming event promises a mind-blowing weekend filled with immersive fun for family and friends,” the press release states.
Edited by Kojo Essah
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