The wait is nearly over… rAge Expo 2025 kicks off this weekend at Fourways Mall. Whether you’re in it for the merch, the thrill of competition, the nostalgia, giveaways, or just a fun day out with your friends and family, rAge 2025 promises to be filled with action, prizes, and epic moments.
Here’s what you need to know:
WHAT’S NEW AND UNMISSABLE
- NAG Retro LAN: A plug-and-play throwback zone – no rigs needed. Comes with meals, gear, gifts, and exclusive seating inside the BYOC. Get your tickets here 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 can assemble their own sabers with cosplay guides and an 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 pros 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
- Show off your skills 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: Pull up, chalk up and show your strength 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 you 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 pic 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
AND 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 - Varsity Esports Finals
Games: EA Sports FC25, Rocket League, 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 + 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 - RGB Gaming Schools and Student Tournaments
Games: Minecraft, Rocket League, The Finals, Overwatch 2
• 162 students, 32 schools, 5 new champions - Challenge the Pro and King of the Hill Zone (5FM × Goliath Gaming)
• Daily face-offs against Goliath Gaming pros
• Public bragging rights and prize giveaways - ACGL Fighting Cups and EAFC Matches
• Fighting game tournaments + football matches
• Public competitions with daily prizes
TICKETS
Get yours now via Howler
📍 5–7 December 2025
📍 Fourways Mall Level 8, Johannesburg
📍 rageexpo.co.za.