06/07/2026 04:58 - Tecnologia
There was a time, especially in the 2000s, when cybercafes (locally known as 'cybers') were the epicenter of teenage social life in Argentina. These were places where people chatted on Messenger, checked their emails, and spent hours playing Counter-Strike. However, with the arrival of home internet and the rise of smartphones, this business model seemed destined to disappear. Today, in the city of Córdoba, only two of these historic venues remain standing, but with a completely renewed approach.
Federico Pucheta, owner of CyberFox, has been in the business since 2005. At its peak, he had three branches (Cross, Krome, and Cyber Fox). Currently, the only surviving location is at Av. Colón 251. For Pucheta, the key was understanding that what used to be in a cybercafe is now in the palm of your hand, meaning he had to transform the business or close it.
Today, the venue has 40 high-end computers dedicated almost exclusively to competitive gaming. They are open 24 hours a day, every day. Their clients, mostly between 25 and 35 years old, look for machines capable of running demanding titles like League of Legends (LOL), Counter-Strike, or Fortnite. This level of hardware is often not economically viable for home setups in Argentina due to high import costs and inflation.
| Duration | Price (Argentine Pesos) |
|---|---|
| 1 Hour | $ 2,900 |
| 3 Hours | $ 7,000 |
| 8 Hours | $ 10,500 |
Beyond hourly rentals, the venue organizes weekly tournaments with mini-leagues where the community participates and competes, attracting around 15 to 20 people who fill the rows of computers once again.
Located at Mariano Moreno 295, HQ Sports has been open since 2001. Its owner, Jorge Urciuolo, explains that the major transformation began when he saw the growth of electronic sports, inspired even by League of Legends tournaments broadcast on Netflix.
For Urciuolo, the mystique of the cybercafe doesn't disappear because the experience of playing in person next to your team is unbeatable. You socialize with people who play the same games and make friends, a dynamic that is hard to replicate alone in front of a screen at home.
Both entrepreneurs admit that this is a niche in the process of extinction and that the future is uncertain, as there are no obvious new avenues for transformation left. The economic challenge is high: it involves changing computers every two or three years and rotating accessories to keep up with hardware updates.
However, despite the challenges, these venues remain refuges for a community seeking not just a powerful computer, but a space to share a passion that still resists. As their owners say, as long as there are players looking for that environment of camaraderie and cutting-edge technology, these last cybercafes will keep their lights on during the Córdoba nights.
Source: La Voz
Alfredo S. Quiroga
