WD is providing a great source of excitement at rAge 2014, held this year from 10 to 12 October.
The world-leading hard drive manufacturer will be bringing out gaming professional player Stephen Ellis, AKA Snoopeh, most famous for his exploits on the League of Legends team Evil Geniuses.
Fans will be able to meet, greet and interact with Ellis, and even join him for LAN sessions, as well as hear him speak about WD’s products for gamers and the WD-sponsored Black Monster Cup tournament.
“Snoopeh is a hero in the League of Legends universe, and his achievements are many and impressive. We are proud to be able to bring gamers of this calibre to South Africa to meet their fans and share their experience. Fans will have an opportunity to see him in action, take photographs with him, get their swag signed and even play with and against him. He will also be appearing on the main stage several times throughout the event to promote the Black Monster Cup,” says Kalvin Subbadu, sales manager: Components at WD South Africa.
The Black Monster Cup is an open tournament for any League of Legends player who is looking to further their prospects in the e-sports community. It is currently offered in Europe and North America, with other regions due to be introduced, which will turn the tournament into a global campaign.
In each region, four tournaments are held each year. Each of the top eight teams receives a cash prize of €15 000 per tournament in Europe or $15 000 in North America, and these teams play off against each other to determine the tournament winner. All stages, qualification rounds, group stage matches as well as play-offs are broadcast live on Twitch TV and are later added to YouTube for viewing on demand.
“The Black Monster Cup is a great way for teams to work their way into the professional leagues. During these open tournaments they learn what it takes, enhance their skills and fight their way up to play the best amateur teams in their region. This then gives them a chance to play promotion matches into the professional scene. We look forward to growing this tournament into a global concern,” Subbadu explains.
To whet local appetites for the Black Monster Cup, WD will be hosting a King of the Hill tournament every day on the stage. Players need to win five consecutive League of Legends games to take top honours and be named King of the Hill for that day. Winners will walk away with some fantastic prizes from WD, including high-performance WD Black gaming hard drives and the latest innovation in dual drives, WD Black2 drives.
“WD is striving to address the needs of multiple markets with its complete product portfolio, and has also been a pioneer in developing technologies that provide specific solutions for specific purposes – including gaming. By showcasing the Black Monster Cup, WD is demonstrating its ability to provide the perfect hard drive solutions for the gaming market, as well as its ability to offer backup and restore capabilities that meet specific requirements,” Subbadu concludes.