What's New

  • NAG Retro LAN: A plug-and-play throwback zone. Comes with meals, gear, gifts and exclusive seating inside the BYOC. Tickets available 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 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 professionals 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.
  • Compete 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 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 attendees 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 picture 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.

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, 7 December.

Varsity Esports Finals

  • Games: EA Sports FC25, Rocket League and 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 and 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, 7 December.

RGB Gaming Schools and Student Tournaments

  • Games: Minecraft, Rocket League, The Finals and Overwatch 2.
  • 162 students, 32 schools and five new champions.

Challenge the Pro and King of the Hill Zone (5FM and Goliath Gaming)

  • Daily face-offs against Goliath Gaming pros.
  • Public bragging rights and prize giveaways.

ACGL Fighting Cups and EAFC Matches

  • Fighting game tournaments and football matches.
  • Public competitions with daily prizes.

Information about the rAge Expo:

  • Tickets: Available via Howler.
  • Date: Friday, 5 December to Sunday, 7 December.
  • Venue: Fourways Mall, Level 8, Johannesburg.

For more information, visit www.rageexpo.co.za. You can also follow rAge Expo on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or on TikTok.

*Image courtesy of contributor