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23 AUGUST 2005
WORLD’S #1 GAMER SET TO JET INTO rAge
The first person to beat the best stands a chance of winning R 20 000 courtesy of NAG Magazine
Fatal1ty, the number one gamer in the world will soon be jetting into South Africa to make his fighting presence felt at the rAge expo taking place at Northgate’s Coca Cola Dome from the 30th of September to the 2nd of October 2005.
Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel is among a rapidly growing group of internationally acclaimed electronic sports champions known as Cyberathletes. Like any professional athlete, these Cyberathletes train hard and compete in big money competitions to earn their keep. In fact, Fatla1ty’s visit to our shores is a stopover on his way to China where he will be competing in one leg of the year long CPL (Cyberathlete Professional League) World Tour, the total winnings of which comes in at an impressive $ 400 000.00. Each leg of the CPL World Tour – of which there are eight – boasts a purse of $ 50 000.00.
The exciting news for local gamers and anyone even vaguely interested in the booming future of Electronic Sports, is that Fatal1ty will be at rAge to challenge any South African brave enough to a one-on-one with the best, in a traditional Fatal1ty Shootout. If the sporting gods are with us, the first person to beat Fatal1ty in a ‘duel to the death’, will win R 20 000, courtesy of NAG (New Age Gaming) Magazine. The game of Falat1ty's choice is the action packed award winning Painkiller.
Joining the ‘Tiger Woods’ of gaming at rAge will be duelling partner Zen aka Brian Grapatin. Zen is the first full time gamer under the Fatal1ty brand and is a heavyweight Cyberathlete in his own right. Both are among this new breed of 21st Century professional electronic gaming athlete.
In 1999 Fatal1ty began his pro gaming career by entering the Cyberathlete Professional League tournament in Dallas and winning $4,000 for placing third. Emerging as one of the top players in the United States, he then competed in a tournament in Sweden against the top 12 players in the world. By winning 18 straight games and losing none he won first place, making him the number one ranked Quake III player in the world. Two months later, in Dallas, he followed that success by successfully defending his title as the world's best Quake III player and winning the $40,000 grand prize.
Since then Fatal1ty has travelled the globe, competing against the best in the world, and winning prizes and acclaim, including a $25,000 grand prize at the first DOOM 3 Inaugural Deathmatch Championship at QuakeCon 2004. He presently reigns as the only 3 time CPL Champion of the Year, winning each annual title in a different game, a feat never before accomplished.
Now, the same dedication that drives Fatal1ty to be the world's best gamer is being translated to offer innovative products intended to enhance the gaming lifestyle and experience, and dedicated to expanding popularity and opportunities for cyber athletes.
Speaking of his attendance at rAge 2005 Johnathan says, “Essentially I’m doing this to turbo boost the gaming community in South Africa and Africa in general. My sponsor, ABIT and my name are fully behind developing untapped talent”.
An increasing media focus has thrown the somewhat controversial career of the pro computer gamer, or Cyberathlete, into the spotlight in recent months and according to NAG Magazine editor and rAge organiser, Michael James, “The South African gaming community is healthy and strong and has several times shown itself worthy of international acclaim. Fatal1ty’s visit and the prize to the person that can beat him show that there is a growing interest in SA in professional gaming.”
The number of South Africans taking gaming more and more seriously is growing rapidly. From gamers who make money from local and overseas competitions, to I-Imagine, South Africa’s only licensed console game developer, South Africans are starting to see that there is big money in gaming.
at rAge will open daily at 10:00, closing at 18:00 on the Friday and Saturday and at 16:00 on the Sunday, and tickets will cost R 30.00 per person. Gaming enthusiasts can reserve a place at the NAG LAN (a 700 networked LAN area powered where gamers bring their own PC's and play games against each other all weekend long) through Computicket for R185.
For more information about rAge visit www.rageexpo.co.za.
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