The annual Rush Esports event is quite literally upon us, and esports enthusiasts are gearing up, locking down and putting on their game faces for one of South Africa’s most thrilling events on the esports calendar.

The multi-tournament, multi-platform celebration of all things competitive gaming will be exploding into life on 28, 29 and 30 June 2019, at the Sun Arena, Time Square, Pretoria. It goes without saying that the variety of tournaments being hosted is enough to get you firing on all cylinders - FIFA 19, CS:GO, DOTA 2, StarCraft, Hearthstone, Fortnite and Tekken 7.

But it’s the list of prizes up for grabs that is truly going to blow your mind. The prize pool for Rush, sponsored by Vodacom 4U and Samsung, includes cash prizes, product prizes and overseas trips, totaling over R450,000. The stakes have never been this high, the tournaments never this grand and the prizes never before this sensational! “At Vodacom 4U, gaming and esports is one of the key strategic pillars that support our brand strategy,” Says Ulanova Visser, Marketing Director at Vodacom 4U. “Last year we were very excited for the opportunity to partner with Rush Esports South Africa and offer massive prizes for three gaming titles.

The success of this partnership has led to us upping the ante for 2019 by doubling the number of gaming titles to six - as well as substantially increasing the overall prize purse that will be up for grabs to the competitors. “Because Vodacom’s Youth Franchise Channel is fluent in “gaming speak”, it’s only logical that Vodacom Fibre will be providing all the connectivity for the event to ensure that our gamers can enjoy serious uninterrupted gaming while competing during the weekend.

Through Vodacom Fibre, we are able to offer our customers finance options to purchase gaming consoles and other products by simply adding on to their monthly contract commitment. We are also thrilled to be supporting a Fortnite Cosplay category competition at the event.” Aside from competing, Rush offers the perfect opportunity for all ages and skill levels to get a taste of esports – even if they’re just watching. Big screens and live commentary will be giving visitors throw by throw run downs of the tournaments, guaranteeing maximum audience thrills.

This year entrance tickets to Rush also include entrance into GeekFest - a complete weekend invasion of all things geek including Sumo Wrestling, a Dance Dance Revolution setup, Robowar competitions, a Gladiator Ring, cosplay and a LARP tournament. To say this a jam-packed entertainment lineup is an understatement. Rush has pulled out every single stop, and then some, to ensure maximum gamer and geek immersion across the whole weekend. Tickets to Rush are on sale now at Ticketpro and include full access to GeekFest. GeekFest tickets also include full access to Rush. #rushesports2019 #connected

EVENT DETAILS: When is Rush? 28, 29, 30 June 2019 Times: Friday 10am – 8pm | Saturday 10am – 8pm | Sunday 10am – 5pm Where is Rush? Sun Arena, Time Square, Pretoria How do I buy tickets to Rush? Tickets to Rush are on sale via www.ticketpros.co.za

Day Pass: R120 (valid for one day only on any of the three days)
Weekend Pass: R300 (valid for all three days)
Player Pass: R250 (valid for all three days for players competing in tournaments)

How do I stay connected? To stay up to date with all the Rush announcements and additional info, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or go to www.rushesports.co.za

A school holiday without the Summer sun can be challenging, but don’t despair, there is fun-filled holiday action to be had at Rush for esports fans, junior geeks and aspiring gamers.

This June will see the annual Rush esports event, along with GeekFest, running at the Sun Arena in Time Square Pretoria. Visitors can expect a thrilling variety of competitive games to participate in and watch. SA’s top gamers and teams will be competing for prizes on esports stages, complete with big screens and live commentary. More good news is that gaming enthusiasts will also be able to compete for prizes by signing up to the FIFA 19, Tekken 7 and Fortnite tournaments now.

Last year’s big Fortnite winner was an ecstatic Prep School pupil - proving that age is definitely just a number at Rush! This year’s Fortnite and FIFA 19 tournaments are sponsored by Vodacom 4U and Samsung. FIFA 19 players will be competing on PS4 consoles, and Fortnite players will be using Samsung Galaxy S10+ phones to play on. Entry into both these tournaments can be done via Mettlestate now, and there are some awesome prizes to be won.

For teens and older, UGCZA is hosting a Fighting Game Workshop from 11h00 to 18h00 on Friday the 28th, where you can come and learn some new skills from the pros, or just brush up on your moves.

Great news from PlayStation is that they will be showcasing a host of cools games including: GT Sport; Team Sonic Racing; MotoGP19 – as well Virtual Reality games such as Everybody’s Golf VR, Far Point and Beat Saber. In addition to all the esports action, there will be geek-related retail stalls, food vendors, a Cosplay competition, LARPing (Live Action Role Playing), Robowars, a Geek Quiz and Hawkeye Arrow Tag will have a fun archery activity arena suitable for ages 10 and up.

Players are split into teams and will battle it out against each other using air-filled bunkers for cover as they try and take out their opponents with recurve bows and foam-tipped arrows. Vodacom 4U are also sponsoring a Fortnite-inspired cosplay category. This is the chance to dress to impress as you channel one of your favourite Fortnite characters.

The winner of the Vodacom 4U Fortnite cosplay will walk away with R10,000, so ramp up your creative juices and enter now! The stage is set to give geeks and gamers a three-day weekend of unprecedented entertainment, geek culture and competitive gaming. There is something for everyone at Rush 2019, so bring along family and friends and get lost in the fascinating, fast paced and fun-filled world of esports and all things geek, first-hand!

Tickets to Rush are on sale now at Ticketpro and include full access to GeekFest. GeekFest tickets also include full access to Rush. #rushesports2019 EVENT DETAILS: When is Rush 2019? 28, 29, 30 June 2019 Times: Friday 10am – 8pm | Saturday 10am – 8pm | Sunday 10am – 5pm Where is Rush 2019? Sun Arena, Time Square, Pretoria How do I buy tickets to Rush 2019? Tickets to Rush are on sale via Ticketpro. Day Pass: R120 (valid for one day only on any of the three days) Weekend Pass: R300 (valid for all three days) Player Pass: R250 (valid for all three days for players competing in tournaments) How do I stay connected? To stay up to date with all the Rush announcements and additional info, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or go to www.rushesports.co.za.

Geeks are taking over! And they’re doing it Big in Japan style! That’s right, all things Geek are about to be unleashed on JHB and Pretoria with the 7th Annual GeekFest, brought to you by The Dark Carnival. Taking place for the first time at the awe-inspiring Sun Arena, Time Square in Pretoria, the event is set to be a complete invasion of all things Geek and all things gaming over one stellar weekend. Gaming Geeks and Fantasy Freaks can draw inspiration for this year’s GeekFest from the birthplace of Anime – Japan. But because we’re Geeks, we definitely don’t do understated and we definitely do over the top, so it’s a Godzilla-sized Big in Japan theme, and we are challenging all Geeks out there to bring on all thing’s anime, manga and Otaku (Japanese for geek).

The entire focus of the 3-day weekend will be on Japanese culture and gaming so Gēmusutāto! (Game on) The Cosplay arena is going to be one that is super-sized this year, with events across all levels, so you can either take a beginner’s bite-sized chunk or make a masterful meal of this imagination-busting sub-culture. There will be four competition categories, namely: • Junior – Open to all entrants who will be under the age of 15 at the time of GeekFest. In order to qualify, at least 50% of their costume must be hand crafted. • Beginner to Genin – Open to newbies who are interested in breaking into the cosplay universe. This includes first time entrants or those who have very little experience.

In order to qualify, at least 50% of their costume must be hand crafted. • Intermediate-Chuunin – Open to those slightly more experienced cosplayers who have taken part in these kinds of competitions before. In order to qualify, at least 75% of their costume must be hand crafted. • Masters-Kage – Open to the semi-professional and professional cosplayers – those who live and breathe the sub-culture and have placed at major competitions before. In order to qualify, at least 90% of their costume must be hand crafted. Each of the above categories will have a first, second and third place winner with fantastic sponsored prizes up for grabs. In addition to the category tournaments, there will also be a masquerade for those who don’t want to compete, but who want to simply strut their colourful stuff and be a part of the fun. To register visit http://www.geekfest.co.za/cosplay-registration/. In partnership with the Rush esports event there will also be a Vodacom 4U sponsored Fortnite- inspired category. This is the chance to dress to impress as you channel one of your favourite Fortnite characters.

The winner of the Vodacom 4U Fortnite cosplay will walk away with R10,000, so ramp up your creative juices and enter now! A whole range of other fantastic activities will send you into a spin, including Sumo Wrestling, a Dance Dance Revolution setup, Robowar competitions, a Gladiator Ring and a LARP tournament. Watch epic Japanese animated films Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, an animated science fantasy adventure film and Pop in Q, an animated dance film - BUT these won’t be any ordinary screening experience, you’ll get to watch these at the uber-cool Noodlebox Cinema! Kick back and relax with a box of noodles whilst watching your movie in silence with your very own headphones.

Die-hard fans of old school cool are in for a serious treat, because not one, but two iconic cars from two iconic teams from the 80’s will be on display at the event. The unforgettable king of talking technology - KITT - the real star of the KnightRider series, and the truly awesome Ghostbusters Wagon.

Who you gonna call? Your friends to join you of course… To say this a jam-packed entertainment lineup is an understatement. GeekFest 2019 has pulled out every single stop, and then some, to ensure maximum Geek immersion across the whole weekend. And when the hunger pangs strike, fear not intrepid soldiers, there is a host of food and drinks available to reboot yourself back to full power.

From merchandise exhibitors to a full-on Geek-inspired market; to gaming highlights and tabletop games; to Pokémon GO tournaments, Japanese martial arts and Anime movies and a Geek Quiz… There is something for every single member of your Geek family to do. You can even go and get your gaming on as GeekFest tickets include all access entry into Rush Esports too. For more information on GeekFest 2019 and the cosplay competitions visit https://www.geekfest.co.za/

EVENT DETAILS: When is GeekFest 2019? 28, 29, 30 June 2019

Times: Friday 10am – 8pm | Saturday 10am – 8pm | Sunday 10am – 5pm

Where is Geekfest 2019? Sun Arena, Time Square, Pretoria

How do I buy tickets to GeekFest 2019? Tickets to GeekFest on sale via Ticketpro and at the door

• Day Pass: R120 (valid for one day only on any of the three days)
• Weekend Pass: R300 (valid for all three days) GeekFest tickets include all access into Rush 2019