Game News Gaming 10/11/2020

Rage Expo 2020 Online

It’s been a busy weekend for everyone here in South Africa as we got to experience Rage Expo online! With the excitement and hype building up all week and then finally leading to the weekend we all just had I can guarantee I’m not the only one left exhausted!!

This has only been my second Rage event, and I know a lot of you reading this will be wondering how on earth I missed out on it for so many years, but hey rather late than never! Last year was a year of firsts as my first Rage Expo was filled with things I’ve never seen before in person. Believe it or not, but I was never really allowed to go to events like this when I was younger, and getting friends and family to go now can be rather difficult since most would rather spend their weekends doing household chores and some aren’t up to the task of spending hours on their feet. Which is entirely understandable considering there is so much going on at these events! With it being 2020, it wouldn’t be the same if there wasn’t some obstacle to overcome, and considering we are all still dealing with the global pandemic that has been keeping us all locked up and hostage throughout the year the organizers had to completely change the format of what would usually be an absolutely packed out expo.
However, never underestimate the determination of geek culture and what the people involved at Rage would do to keep the tradition going! This year was the 18th birthday of the Rage Expo but instead of having a hall filled with everything we’ve come to expect of the event the global pandemic has birthed the first ever Rage Expo Online!!
It’s still the same old Rage but in the comfort of your own home! This was definitely the weekend we needed to introduce all of our loved ones to our passions, to all our favorite content creators, and to show them the latest goodies we would like for Christmas! And the bonus was that we got to spend this time with the people we love and from the comfort of our own homes!

Considering this was only my second Rage event I can tell you that I really think the organizers outdid themselves with how they handled this year’s Expo! I hope that next year they bring in the online feature again as it allows more South African streamers to show off their stuff. This weekend I got to see some streamers I haven’t had the chance to check out yet, and it was super fun! The Rage Expo 2020 streaming section really had it all, they had people drawing some art live, there were charity streams, massive giveaways, and even an Esport career stream to help future content creators get their foot in the door. It was actually hard to keep up with everything that was happening! They really had it all! And if you somehow missed even a split second of this weekend you can still go and check out the Rage Expo Twitch channel and watch the videos :)

I know that the event is only just finished but I can hardly wait for next year’s event! And now I find that it’s rather hard to say if I want to see it continue online next year or do I want to see it return to its live-action setting. Either way, this was a weekend of fun and comfort while I got to sit back and relax at home while watching the expo.
The one thing I did find myself missing though was from the live events I experienced last year. I really enjoyed sitting in the crowd hoping to claw my way to a lanyard or a t-shirt being thrown into the crowds, as well as the food (especially the mini donuts!) so just in case one of the Rage organizers reads this maybe next year you could do some fast food giveaways so that the hungry little geeks at home don’t miss out on the food? It’s just a thought! And if it comes true please put my name down first!!
Despite the lack of any physical goodies to walk away with at the end of the Expo I really do believe that Rage overcame all the obstacles that were put in its way!

I think for me personally the highlight of the weekend was the cosplay as I someday would like to try cosplay myself. Not professionally as it takes a lot of skill, dedication, and effort to be a professional cosplayer! I find people’s creativity and dedication to their cosplays so inspiring and everyone who entered the contest at the weekend showed off just how talented they are.
This year’s contestants did not hold back and the winners truly did deserve the wins. From Dracula to He-Man to My Hero Academia and the first place winner went to the Puss In Boots cosplayer, these winners have shown that 2020 is not going to spoil their year!

The Rage Expo 2020 weekend came at the perfect time and for me has really uplifted what has been a pretty tough year for us all. I think they really have outdone themselves and have definitely set the bar incredibly high for next year! I look forward to seeing how this event inspires future content creators, how it shapes South Africa’s gaming and geek communities and I cannot want to see what the developers and creators do next year. If you need any more information on what happened this past weekend go and check out the Rage Expo Twitter page!