Following a nail-biting showdown between South Africa’s best national teams, the 2022 Acer Predator League came to a close with esports organisation Limitless taking home first prize.
The team, led by Rocket League professional player Gareth “Snowyy” Spiers, claimed the top spot after competing in the EMEA playoffs on 20 November 2022. The winning team members also included David “2Die4” Morgenrood, and Ethan “Darth” Deysel.
As the winners of the tournament, Spiers and his team walk away with a brand-new Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop and a combined cash prize of R46 000.
Cape Town-based esports organisation ATK took second place, with the player prizes including an Acer Predator Galea 311 gaming headset, Predator mousepad, Urban backpack, and a combined cash prize of R27 500. Pirate eSports, the esports division of the Orlando Pirate Football Club, came in third, with each player receiving an Urban backpack and a combined cash prize of R18 000.
Spiers says the prizes will impact him in a positive way. “It’s really special to be winning this amount of money competing in esports locally in South Africa. On top of that, winning the Predator Helios laptop is really cool. I have never had a gaming laptop before, so I am looking forward to enjoying high-end gaming packed into the convenience of a laptop.”
Team Limitless’s win came after a gruelling tournament that saw teams go head-to-head in national qualifiers, national playoffs, and then finally in the EMEA playoffs. Teams of three competed against each other in rounds of Rocket League, in which players command rocket-powered vehicles to score goals in an arena.
During the qualifying events, teams played in double-elimination brackets, the winners of which then proceeded to the national playoffs. Those who made it through then proceeded to the EMEA playoffs for a chance at total victory.
“I really find great joy in competing at the highest level, and when you come out on top in any competition, it’s a magical feeling that keeps me going,” Spiers adds.
“Congratulations go out to Team Limitless and their hard-earned victory on the regional stage. It is truly inspiring to see local talent being showcased in this manner and making a real case for esports on the African continent. By accommodating that talent and providing it with the best in gaming hardware and peripherals, we are enabling players in a growing and blossoming sector,” says Bobbi Nyamane, marketing lead at Acer Africa.