Johannesburg - Becoming a professional gamer isn’t easy.
Ask Ruan van Wyk. The 23 year old spends six to eight hours glued to his computer brushing up his skills each day.
“If you want to be good at something, it takes time and dedication - the same applies with gaming,” he says.
Van Wyk, a member of the Bravado Gaming team, will be vying for the R1 million prize at the eSports tournament hosted by Mettlestate.
Van Wyk knows his team has its work cut out for them. “We have a lot of preparation, but we’re confident in our capability as players and as a team.
“My brother introduced me to Counter-Strike at a very young age and I was hooked. By the time I began high school, I had saved enough money to buy a computer. I played casually at first, but seeing my brother competing, motivated me to become better.”
Gaming is in Stefan's genes
Many parents discourage their children from playing video games all day. But this isn’t the case in the Erasmus household.
In this Joburg home, everyone loves video games. So it’s no surprise that Stefan Erasmus decided to pursue a career in professional gaming at a young age.
“My father, uncle and my cousins, who are all gamers, influenced me to choose the career path I am in,” says Erasmus, who is recognised as one of SA’s best gamers.
He represents the Energy eSports team, one of the most popular eSports teams in the country.
Erasmus too will be competing at the upcoming eSports tournament.
“I think right now we’re favourites but the tournament is still a while away.
"We will keep a close eye on all our opponents and their progress while we prepare ourselves,” says Erasmus.