Crunch Time For NZ Esports

New Zealand’s top esport players are facing off against Australia tonight as part of their campaign to qualify for this year’s World Esports Championships.

New Zealand Esports chief executive Jonathan Jansen says the six-member team will be playing Counterstrike against the Australian team in the best of three to go through to the World Esports Championships.

Tonight’s team is competing in the open division, he says, meaning the top players will be taking part. Only 16 teams qualify for the World Championships, whittled down from 152 countries in the starting line-up, so it is a highly competitive contest. Worldwide, the esports industry is worth billions of dollars and players are as popular and well-known as premier league footballers.

Jonathan says Team Australia are a significant obstacle for the New Zealand team to take on, but this year’s team are one of the best he’s seen.

One of Team NZ’s players on Thursday night will be Sean Kaiwai, aka Gratisfaction, who is the most well-known and recognised Counterstrike player from New Zealand. Jonathan says the team has five players, including Kaiwai, and one substitute. This week’s games are held remotely, but the team will travel internationally to compete at the championships.

The players in Team NZ qualified as national representatives in May through a qualifier where hundreds of players competed to be selected, and since then, have been practicing together as a team. Four of the players are part of full time professional teams, akin to the premier league or super rugby.

Jonathan says Thursday’s game is the final hurdle for the team.

“If they beat Australia, they take the Oceania slot and qualify for the World Championships in November.”

Team NZ competed at the World Championships last year, which were hosted by Saudia Arabia. Jonathan says the host for this year’s championships has not yet been decided.

The games will be streamed on TWITCH: https://twitch.tv/nzesf

The New Zealand Esports Federation (NZESF) is the sole recognised national sporting organisation for esports in Aotearoa. Its mission is to lead, support, and grow esports, uniting Kiwis through competitive gaming while promoting its social, health, and educational benefits.

Recognised by Sport NZ in 2020, NZESF advocates for esports as an indoor sport and on the Olympic stage. As the regulatory body for esports nationwide, it upholds integrity and fair play, fosters balanced participation, and provides pathways for international representation through the E Blacks.

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