South Africa’s CSGO elite and the nation’s top qualifying teams will compete for R150, 000 and the honour of lifting the ROG Invitational Trophy in the presence of 35,000 rAge attendees at the Ticketpro Dome on the 27th to the 29th of September.

Johannesburg, South Africa, 16 August 2019. Today ASUS South Africa, the company behind the Republic of Gamers, the world’s leading gaming hardware brand announced the inaugural ROG Invitation which will place as South Africa’s richest short-form Counter Strike tournament. With a prize pool of R150, 000, the one-month tournament will host its finals live at rAge Expo on the 27th to 29th of September at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg.  

Four of South Africa’s elite CS:GO teams, BIG 5 ESPORTS, ENERGY ESPORTS, GOLIATH GAMING and SINISTER5 CS:GO will compete for the glory, the honour and the cash against the top four ranked challengers from the qualification rounds.  

Registration for the online qualifiers opens today through www.mettlestate.com, a leading esports league and tournament operator on the African continent. The round-robin group stage will advance the leaders of each group to the LAN finals in late September where the final eight will compete in a double-elimination bracket at rAge Expo.  

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,” says Azin Alikhani, MEA Regional Marketing Head. 

The last decade has seen a spark of change in this inclusive ecosystem from casual gaming as a community to the development of a serious sub-culture of professionalism in esports that is driving a new a generation of sporting professionals. 

“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 co-ordination and communication, says Juan Mouton, Asus and Republic of Gamers South Africa Marketing Manager.  

Juan goes on to state, “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.”  

The rAge Experience
The ROG invitational will host the finals in a live three-day showdown at the Tickepro Dome during the rAge Expo - South Africa’s largest gathering of gaming enthusiasts. With more than 35,000 attendees and 17 years in existence, rAge has become synonymous with the most awesome weekend of gaming on the local events calendar.  This annual gaming event promises a mind-blowing weekend filled with immersive fun for family and friends.

KEY POINTS
Largest Short-Form CS:GO Prize Pool: Republic of Gamers launches the largest prize pool to  date for a short-form Counter Strike tournament.

Elite SA ESPORTS Talent On Show: BIG 5 ESPORTS, ENERGY ESPORTS, GOLIATH GAMING and SINISTER5 CS:GO fill out the elite bracket and will be the teams to beat in the 2019 showpiece.

Largest Gaming Event in Africa: rAge Expo and the ROG Invitational will play out in front of more than 35,000 people at the Ticketpro Dome on 27th – 29th September 2019, making it Africa’s largest gaming event.