I got a rad shirt dropped off a few days ago along with a selection of PrimeSelf Supplements. The drop was to announce PrimeSelf Supplements of Big 5 Esports. Most of these names are probably unfamiliar to you so let me fill you in:
Big 5 Esports is a player owned team that came about following a host of shuffles and changes with MGOs in SA. Their current line up is Thulani “LighteRTZ” Sishi, Hadlee “konv1ct” Smith, Alexander “Spartan” Lazarides, Jean “kustoM” Herbst and Mark “Spazz” Jebens. Recently Axtremes also named them the most improved team in the ESL Africa competition. He also said they were, in his mind and based off performance, potentially the best team in South Africa right now. Big words there. What you might not know is when I entered South African Esports, after hanging out on the fringes for some time, two of the first “top level” players to actually welcome me were LighteRTZ and konv1ct. They were nothing but helpful and supportive of my ideas and ambition from the get go. Both were always happy to jump in on my silly ideas and help me in trying to build local Esports to a level that the general public would appreciate it too. In those early days many of the “big” guys in the local scene were wary of me, some vocally unsupportive and many dismissive. Does it matter? Probably not. But I think it speaks to the team’s character and why I expect big things from them in the future. As founding members of Big 5 I believe this team might go on to do “big” things. Much like the birth of Goliath Gaming, I think this MGO and player led MGOs in general are the change we need. When invested personally in the MGO, players are likely going to push harder not only for success but also for more eyeballs on content and the scene.
PrimeSelf is a supplement company. But before you start flexing your biceps – they’re not THAT supplement company. They focus more on supplementation for self-optimisation. These include supplements for focus, sleep and mind optimisation. Primeself also offer Nootropics on their online store and BEFORE that one person in Esports starts ranting and raving about drug tests – following most of the major Esports organisations aligning with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) most Esports competitors looking to add supplements to improve performance have moved to natural remedies and Nootropics – which is what PrimeSelf trades in. If you need more clarity there are a stack of articles online including this one. Additionally, they stock other various research chemicals and nootropic powders for educational purposes.
Right, now that we know the players, let’s chat
PrimeSelf has announced their sponsorship of Big 5 and I think this is good news for South African Esports. Most current sponsors tend to be hardware brands and internet service providers. We’ve struggled locally to expand out of this space and encourage support from FMCG brands or new business that could benefit from the niche community we reside in. I think the PrimeSelf move is a genius one. Their products are perfectly and legally suited to competitive gamers looking to take their profession seriously and focus on ensuring their bodies are performing optimally in big competitions.
I’ve been sick most of the week and haven’t had a chance to try the stack sent to me. However, I have tried the Prime SLEEP supplement, mainly because I wasn’t getting any rest as I’d been up coughing most nights and wanted one decent night’s rest once the coughing subsided. I found it worked well to calm me and I did get a decent night’s sleep. I also didn’t wake up groggy which is the normal effect of sleeping tablets. This is because the natural blend of Nootropics are not filled with the usual drugs associated with sleeping tablets but rather a host of herbal additives that ensure your mind is calm but that you’re also enhancing your cognitive abilities at the same time.
Why this works
PrimeSelf offers supplements that include Prime SLEEP, Prime MIND and Prime FOCUS. The link for a competitive gamer who needs to be focused for long periods of time makes sense. There is also the benefit of ensuring your memory and mental clarity are improved – which a supplement like Prime MIND helps with. When gaming for long periods you also battle to sleep afterwards as your brain is over stimulated. Which is why the combination of the three supplements actually works as an additional benefit. Prime focus in game but also prime rest to recharge.
Most athletes across sporting codes supplement with natural options to ensure they’re performing at their peek. So this isn’t new. Jumping on to sponsor a South African Esports team is though. I think the tie together makes complete sense. More gamers are going to see PrimeSelf on the Big 5 branding and potentially try the products – which boosts their sales. In case you didn’t know, sponsorship of Esports teams is for this very reason: increase brand recognition and garner more sales from your target audience.
Why is this good for South African Esports?
We’re finally seeing a new player in the sponsorship department and I’m hoping it will encourage other brands to see the benefits of getting behind local Esports. Hopefully, with brands like PrimeSelf throwing their names into the ring it will open more doors to the FMCG names who’ve already jumped on internationally. More sponsors and investment in the scene leads to bigger budgets for events and marketing ultimately leading to more eyeballs on local tournaments. All of this is good for us.
This is a BIG one for all of us. Welcome PrimeSelf… whose next?
