New Zealand Esports Federation

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Embracing an era of change

Surprise! The New Zealand Esports Federation is undergoing a facelift — including shaking up both our name and logo and bringing them into the modern era of New Zealand esports.  

Going forward, the Federation will operate as NZ Esports — but don’t worry, we’re still the same under the hood, and still have the same drive to make esports in New Zealand the most open it can be to everyone. We’ll be rolling out our refreshed branding over the coming days, so don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts by jumping into our Discord! 

The rebrand isn’t just chopping off “Federation” from our name, it also includes switching up our logo (which frankly, was starting to look a little long-in-the-tooth). The logo takes the form of the pouakai, a massive bird from Māori mythology capable of taking on moa— and winning. The pouakai stands in contrast to the rest of New Zealand birds, as it evolved in a world without the presence of man, the apex predator of its time. 

We took multiple sources of inspiration when developing our new logo, including utilising the traditional silver fern iconography familiar to all New Zealanders. As the most iconic symbol of New Zealand sports both in Aotearoa and the rest of the world, we wanted to include the fern but also make it unique to esports. Our main goal was to bring more representation and meaning into the symbolism of New Zealand esports, as the community we all share is just as diverse.  

Each part of the pouakai logo pays homage to one of four elements, as we drew inspiration from traditional mythology to give the pouakai some esports flair. 

The tail is meant to symbolise the mountains and the earth, with the rifts at the bottom doubling as feathers but also becoming whole as the mountain rises resolute from the ground beneath it. While we all start out at different points of the esports journey, we all have the same goal — to stand proudly atop the mountain overlooking the community we’ve built together.  

The bottom of the wing represents fire, and much like a roaring flame the feathers are unique — each tongue of flame forging their own path through the world. No one person is ever the same as another, and everyone’s contribution is unique to the rapidly evolving esports community in New Zealand.  

The top of the wing pays homage to the sea while staying faithful to traditional silver fern iconography. Starting with classic fern leaves close to the head, the leaves become more fluid farther along the wing — much like waves rising and falling. Symbolically, everything will come and go, but much like the motion of the ocean, it will always continue.  

The wings dissipate into pixels at the tips, symbolizing the transition from the physical world to the digital one. Esports straddles both the online and offline worlds, and as part of the NZ Esports community we want everyone to carry themselves with integrity in both worlds.  

The body of the pouakai symbolises lightning and represents both clarity and chaos. Never be afraid to go where the road takes you, however stormy it may be — because when the lightning strikes, your path forward will be illuminated for you. Whether you are embracing the chaos of the lightning or letting its clarity guide your way, have conviction in your decisions and be decisive in your movements.  

The head of the pouakai is a waypoint, meaning that if you have a destination in mind, you can only move forward in your journey. In New Zealand esports, we want to help be your guide as you fulfil your potential. However, even if you don’t have a destination in mind, we will have goals at the core of our community to aid your journey in New Zealand esports.  

In essence, our logo is designed to enshrine the core values we have at NZ Esports, and are values we hope to share with the wider esports community in Aotearoa. 

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