What's next for the Join the Republic Community Challenge?

After following the aspirations and adventures of worldwide “Join the Republic” teams for over six months, it’s hard to believe that it’s over. 

From exuberant victories to crushing defeats, it was an emotional rollercoaster of a journey. Without a doubt, the victors from Team Poland will be going on to do amazing things. But what does the future hold for the Join the Republic Community Challenge?

To understand the JTR Community Challenge’s place in the eSports world, it helps to understand the industry and the burdens on aspiring pro gamers. The barriers to entry are high and the sacrifices are many, from the incredible time commitments to the unspoken age limitations. 

Balancing school or work with a pro gaming career can be a serious challenge, and gamers are often expected to start young – as early as thirteen years old, and sometimes earlier – to be seriously considered for eSports careers. Meanwhile, gamers in their early twenties are either considered too old to begin a career or else they’re already retired.

Lolz1e, one of the young, promising players from Team Sweden, prepares to LAN it up at Inferno Cafe

But why should eSports be so limiting? Surely it’s possible that there are talented players out there who’ve been overlooked. With this thought in mind, the "Join the Republic" Community Challenge was born. 

Republic of Gamers wanted to give amateurs a chance to go pro by showing off their Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skills at worldwide gaming events, from PAX West and Australia to Gamescom, Paris Games Week, the ROG Masters, and virtual tournaments. After all, they believe gamers with the right fundamentals and raw talent can be given the tools and training to become gaming superstars, regardless of age or other limitations. 

In fact, "Join the Republic" was the first campaign to take everyday gamers straight from conventions around the world and place them on teams with pro captains. So, it’s no surprise that the Grand Final garnered an astonishing 160,000 Twitch viewers, making it the top-watched CS:GO Twitch live stream for four days straight. 

Republic of Gamers also wanted to give everyday gamers a taste of the superstar experience, from boot camps in beautiful settings, to top-of-the-line gaming gear like the ROG G752 and ROG Strix, to an epic Grand Final in Stockholm. After all, being a part of the eSports community isn’t just about making the best hardware – it also means connecting with and empowering players. It means showing them you care about helping them meet and exceed their gaming goals.

An Iron Man-inspired G752 glows in the foreground as NEEX, from Team Poland, battles it out at the JTR Grand Finals

So, when it comes to the future of the JTR Community Challenge, this vision isn’t about to change. Looking to 2017, there’s a very good chance the JTR campaign will be back and even better. While it’s undecided exactly what form it will take, insiders revealed that players might see more eSports competitions – expansion to additional titles like Overwatch and League of Legends. And online events that further broaden JTR’s worldwide recruitment, such as extending beyond Taiwan to other parts of Asia or including South America for the very first time.

Meanwhile, other ROG eSports involvement will also continue. Expect to see even more like the epic ROG Masters tournaments, which launched for the first time last year. In November 2016, twelve Dota 2 and five CS:GO teams assembled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to compete for $150,000 and $50,000 prize pools, respectively. There will definitely be more where that came from.

And there will continue to be Republic of Gamers partnerships with leading eSports names like ESL, the largest video game event company in the world.

If you're feeling down now that there aren't more Grand Finals to watch, never fear: while the 2017 plans for the Join the Republic Community Challenge may still be in the works, the future's looking bright after a phenomenal and ground-breaking 2016. Who knows – you might even be one of the players on that competition stage very soon!

 

By Kimberly Koenig