NamLAN is back and bigger than ever!
The MTC NamLAN 2022 - LAN of the Brave is coming up takes place from 24 to 27 November.NamLAN is an annual event that started in 2008, conceived by Louis van der Merwe and Jonel van Schalkwyk. It was a general opportunity for those interested in gaming to get together in a physical location and meet others who shared their interests while competing individually or in teams for prizes.
Jonel and Louis, with Kai Eysselein and Brendan Ihmig, formed the Namibian Electronic Sports Association (NESA) in 2009, which was officially recognised by the Namibia Sports Commission in 2010. Since then, NESA has been in charge of hosting NamLAN every year.
In the preceding two years, NamLAN was hosted online, meaning it missed that crucial social element that made it popular in previous years. Before, people would come from all over Namibia to congregate and play together, and then suddenly it was indiscernible from the way you would usually play these games. Despite that, however, NamLAN has grown in popularity along with the accessibility of games to many people, of all demographics.
Inspired by international esports federations such as the IESF and GEF, newer gaming platforms are becoming commonplace in the professional scene. Mobile devices, racing rigs, and consoles now complement the traditionally PC-focused industry. This allows many more people to play and compete with the equipment they are familiar with in the games that they love.
This year, in large thanks to NESA’s sponsors, MTC, Logitech, Nanodog and Switch, as well as the team's volunteers, the MTC NamLAN makes a remarkable return to a physical event to embrace that social aspect.
NESA is dedicating more days and considerably more funds to make it accessible to as many people as possible.
Anybody can sign up to join in on the fun, and the fees are minimal. To register, simply navigate to nesaportal.org and complete the application form, and once accepted, pay the membership fee of NAD 100.00 to become an official NESA member.
Once a member, you can sign up for the event on the portal, and select the games you wish to compete in.
The titles for the year include an incredible line up of Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Tekken 7, eFootball 2023, Assetto Corsa, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Defense of the Ancients 2.
MTC NamLAN 2022 will be open for the public from 17:00 on Thursday 24 November at the SKW Event Hall.