The Final Countdown Begins As Excitement Builds For Rage 2025 And Its Biggest Celebration Yet

The wait is nearly over — rAge Expo 2025 blasts off next week. Whether you're in it for the merch, the thrill of competition, the nostalgia, giveaways, or just a fun day out with your friends and family, rAge 2025 delivers action, prizes, and epic moments. Here’s a taste of what visitors can do, win, and experience:

WHAT’S NEW AND UNMISSABLE

• NAG Retro LAN: A plug-and-play throwback zone - no rigs needed. Comes with meals, gear, gifts, and exclusive seating inside the BYOC. Get your tickets here from NAG • zaLUG Live Build: Help build a 9,023-piece LEGO Star Wars Death Star • Alien: Earth – Disney Activation: Explore a crashed spaceship in a dark walkthrough with surprise moments and atmospheric effects • Lightsaber-Building Workshop: Star Wars fans can assemble their own sabers with cosplay guides and expanded parts range

COMPETE, CHALLENGE AND WIN

• Win an iPhone 17 in the Call of Duty Mobile Arena by Carry1st — global first play of DMZ Mode • Beat the pro’s in the “Challenge the Pro” zone and join daily King of the Hill battles with 5FM • Set the fastest lap on the Kyalami circuit in the Project Motor Racing sim at Koodoo’s stand — prize: VEX Smart Glasses worth R5,000 • Escape to win with Hashtag Escapes’ mini escape rooms — top times win trophies, LEGO art, and vouchers • Join the Monster Hot Laps Challenge, top the leaderboard, and score free merch daily • Show off your skills in ACGL’s fighting cups, EAFC matches, and daily racing tournaments • Snap to win: take a selfie at PXR to score anime figurines or enter Royal Ink’s tattoo competition (R6,000 value)
• Daily LEGO build challenges in the LEGO scratch patch
• Bouldering Competition: Pull up, chalk up and show your strength at Bloc11 – tap the boulder and win prizes

WHAT TO PLAY

• Battlefield 6 Free-to-Play Zone (NAG Stand): Test the latest Battlefield title and relive the nostalgia of Battlefield 1942 • Carry1st COD Mobile Arena: Global first! Play the new DMZ mode before anyone else • VR and Sim Rigs Everywhere: Join Apex in the Razer zone for 1v1 battles and the Turtle Beach zone to try racing and flight simulators; visit BT Games for their biggest expo showing to date with activations, simulators and builds; Citroën, and Monster racing setups—most have prizes for leaderboard winners • Play local indie games in Home_Coded, including chaotic chickens (Mighty Peckers) and the horror-action epic OMEN and more • Try the ROG Ally X and Rokid AR glasses at NAG’s demo zones • Experience cloud gaming and 120” floating displays with Viture One AR Glasses from PDC • Test the latest peripherals from Razer, TITAN, Redragon, and Turtle Beach

WHAT TO WIN

• Golden Ticket Giveaway (NAG): Each NAG Magazine could score you a modded MSI PC worth R45,000 • Anime Figurine Vouchers (PXR): Pre-show and post-show R1,000 giveaways. Take a selfie at the stand to enter • Tattoos Worth R6,000: Snap a pic at Royal Ink and enter to win a full-day session • Find the Character (Citroën): Spot the unique graphic on the Citroën wrap to win a car hamper • Instant-win prizes at BT Games, NAG, Apex, and Monster • Daily raffles and surprise merch drops • CineCentre movie tickets, Evetech bundles, and signed comics at Anime After Hours

COSPLAY, ANIME, ART AND CULTURE

• Join over 60 artists in Artist Alley — from tattoos and trinkets to commissions and crafts • Explore the Anime After Hours stage: J-pop/K-pop idols, quizzes, karaoke, and fan art
• Witness the cosplay showdowns on stage — novice and expert competitions, photo challenges, and kid-friendly parades

STREAM, SOCIALISE AND SHOW OFF

• Go live with SPACE.tm’s TikTok booth: creator-style sets, livestreams, and podcast interviews all weekend • Catch 5FM’s live broadcasts with Lula Odiba and Harrison Mkhize direct from the expo floor • Hang in the Mettlestate Lounge with free coffee, fragrance giveaways, and gaming pods • Step into the Smash Room, and blow off steam

WHAT TO LEARN AND SEE

• Anime Industry Panels: Learn about global licensing and study and careers in Japan from JETRO, StyIP, and the Japanese Embassy • Home_Coded Indie Zone: Meet South African game devs, test unreleased builds and score demo access before public release

SHOW SPECIALS

• The VanguardPC x Takealot stand is bringing serious gaming firepower with next-gen hardware, custom-built rigs, and exclusive show-only deals offering up to 40% off select gear. There will also be a full lineup of prebuilt and custom gaming rigs ranging from R16,999 to R89,999. Whether upgrading or building from scratch, it’s the ultimate chance to gear up for less
• BT Games will have a host of exclusive rAge Expo only deals available at their stand. Don’t miss out – once they’re gone, they’re gone

AND ESPORTS?

• Call of Duty Finals – Powered by Monster Game: Call of Duty Black Ops 7 • SA’s top 4 CoD teams invited • Grand final on Sunday
• Varsity Esports Finals Games: EA Sports FC25, Rocket League, Valorant • R90,000 in prize money • University teams from across SA
• Mamelodi Sundowns Championship Game: FC26 • R200,000 prize pool • Qualifiers held at Puma stores + online
• Kasi Flare 2025 Game: EA Sports FC25 • R60,000 prize pool • Showcases grassroots township gaming talent
• Mastercard Nedbank Summoner Tournament Game: League of Legends • R100,000 prize • Grand Final on Sunday
• RGB Gaming Schools and Student Tournaments Games: Minecraft, Rocket League, The Finals, Overwatch 2 • 162 students, 32 schools, 5 new champions
• Challenge the Pro and King of the Hill Zone (5FM × Goliath Gaming) Daily face-offs against Goliath Gaming pros • Public bragging rights and prize giveaways
• ACGL Fighting Cups and EAFC Matches Fighting game tournaments + football matches • Public competitions with daily prizes

TICKETS

Get yours now via Howler

📍 5–7 December 2025 📍 Fourways Mall Level 8, Johannesburg 📍 www.rageexpo.co.za

#escapetoplanetrage #playtimejustlevelledup #comeandplay #rageexpo2025