Airsoft is played worldwide. And we mean the real worldwide, not just Europe and North America. With some 100 000 players in Brazil alone, there is a thriving community around the sport that, to us from Europe, was fun to check out. What are some of the strongest experiences? Expensive guns and bizarre game settings.
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Where is airsoft actually played in Brazil? There are typical fields and stuff that you know from your regular European gameplay video. Of course, the scenery might get a bit exotic, but there are standard wooden structures to keep the game entertaining.
Airsoft game in a city… with people
However, thanks to FABE Brazil, our experience was quite different. It was Brasil where we, and others, actually got to play the sport in active civilian areas. The organizers somehow could reserve a full-on city block in the capital of Brazil, Brasilia – all that just for airsoft. And as you might think, that didn’t include clearing out the locals to prevent danger. Apparently, they were only told that “an Airsoft game is happening in the area,” and that’s it. They were free to stay.
With the police closing off an entire city block, the situation was a bit bizarre. Imagine you’d step out of your house to find a bunch of tactical-looking guys shooting each other with guns. All that when you have to hop in your car and drive somewhere, with the game unfolding next to you. Overall, it felt a bit like Call of Duty, which is cool.
Of course, shooting at the civilians living there was strictly forbidden. However, from a safety perspective, these games are a bit risky, to say the least. As you might imagine, most of them didn’t have an eye-pro or just sunglasses, which is not enough. Luckily, we did not encounter any injuries.
One of the most memorable moments was when I had to crawl behind a car to take cover. All that while the same car got fixed up by a random bystander.
Josef after coming back from Brazil.
Regardless of the risks, the game itself was super fun. And the Brazilian airsoft community was super friendly, living the sport like we do anywhere else worldwide. We took many pictures, and we met so many amazing people.
How Brazil has super expensive airsoft guns
Outside of the game field, airsofters in Brazil face difficulties, though. The cost of replicas makes airsoft, as we know it, a premium sport. That mostly comes down to the prices of replicas artificially inflated by import fees and tariffs.
We were told that airsoft products are considered “luxury goods” and, therefore, a 150% tax has to be paid. That is, if one has a license to import guns in the first place, which is already super hard to get. Normal people have no way of bringing guns or parts from abroad at all.
Examples: What do guns cost in Brazil
Now what about the prices? Well, we have a few examples here for you. Keep in mind, that the average salary in Brazil is around 1500 USD (in 2023), as that is important for the context:
- Mid-level M4 AEG: R$ 3 525 or 700 USD (EU Price: roughly 350 USD)
- GBB Pistol: R$ 2 231 or 450 USD (EU Price: roughly 150 USD)
- Sniper Rifle (SSG96): 1 200 USD (EU Price: roughly 350 USD)
Moreover, with Brazil not in the spotlight of the airsoft community, the brand presence there is limited, giving fewer options to get hands-on with all sorts of replicas the same way we do in Europe or in the US. On top of that, only a handful of importers bring the goods to the country, and they can charge as much as they want and inflate the prices even more.
To make airsoft more accessible in Brazil, we, as NOVRITSCH, partnered up with a family business called WANTEK. They are now importing Novritsch products to Brazil at reasonable prices, making the sport more accessible. 🎉
Overall in our experience, Brazil is a thriving and growing community that is most definitely worth experiencing if you ever get the opportunity. The people are extremely friendly, and there is a strong culture to the sport since the community is smaller, more enclosed, and friendly. 🇧🇷
