According to Stuff magazine, the sudden closure of many South African print publications has shocked the local industry. Following this, Stuff made the decision to use the current pandemic as an opportunity to develop an online space for 'gamers, geeks and techies alike' to find relevant, curated content without leaving their homes.

StuffPlays is an effort to build a community and establish competitive esports in a central hub. "Times like these call for extraordinary change. There is no better time to launch this exciting extension to the Stuff brand as conceptualised by our very capable young team," says Sally Hudson, Stuff’s business manager.

"Gaming is an obvious extension of both Stuffs's brands, We've been the trusted name in product recommendations and game reviews since we launched in 2007 and we know our gaming section has always been one of our most-read subjects," adds Hudson.

The magazine has indicated that this is a natural progression for Stuff, which has 'evolved from highlighting new gadgets, to showcasing how technology enhances lives and businesses with deeper features, how-tos and long-term reviews'.

"Gaming is the biggest thing in the world," says Toby Shapshak, publisher and editor-in-chief of Stuff. "It's bigger than Hollywood in revenue and is how the world's teenagers spend their leisure time and communicate with each other."

StuffPlays has indicated that it will utilise the existing Stuff brand by offering an online presence with video and live stream gaming content. This will eventually evolve into the Stuff Gaming League, which will feature some of the most popular e-sports titles in South Africa and abroad.

"The lockdown has hit many SME's harder than anyone could've expected, but the trick is to find an opportunity in the madness, which is exactly what we plan to do with this new endeavour," says Marce Bester, Stuff’s deputy editor.

"There's an opportunity to establish a community around something we, and many other South Africans, are incredibly passionate about. Video games are great and playing games with friends is even better. That's how we want people to see us: as a virtual place to hang out with some buddies and play some games," says Brad Lang, Stuff staff writer.

"Our editorial team are dyed-in-the-wool gamers who live and breathe gaming. Sally and I are incredibly proud of our 'twenty-somethings' and how they have built this up and launched it," Shapshak concludes.

StuffPlays has indicated that the launch event is scheduled for Saturday, 20 June between 12:00 and 14:00. The launch event will feature prizes, a first play of The Last of Us 2 and other announcements.

For more information, visit www.stuff.co.za. You can also follow Stuff magazine on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram