As esports and gaming become more popular and reach ever-growing audiences, both endemic and non-endemic are showing an interest in this new and exciting market for esportswear.
Adidas, Puma and more have entered esportswear
Sportswear brands are looking to invest in the future by reaching the younger audience of esports and gaming. Companies that built their offerings on esports and gaming as well as traditional brands non-endemic to the ecosystem are all busy building sponsorships with these juggernauts to create products aimed at this demographic.
The traditional sportswear giants Adidas, Puma and Nike are carrying their fierce rivalry into the esports scene. Adidas have entered esports with sneaker collaborations with Team Vitality and providing apparel for North and GrowUP, as well as an individual deal with Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. They also announced a partnership with G2 Esports in January 2021 to provide AEROREADY technology-driven jerseys for the squad as well as releasing a lifestyle line that includes more casual wear.
Meanwhile, their arch-rival Puma have established partnerships with Cloud9 and Gen.G Esports to enter the world of esports. Two months ago, they announced their collaboration with EVOS Esports. Under the #playharder hashtag, the duo have announced a tracksuit line and in a cross-industry move that blurs the lines between physical and digital apparel, as purchasers of the tracksuit will also receive a special Evos Battle Emote to use in their Mobile Legends Bang Bang games.
Nike first were interested in League of Legends, signing deals with Jian “Uzi” Zihao of Royal Never Give Up and becoming the official apparel partner of League of Legends Pro League (LPL), China’s franchised professional competition. Since then, they have teamed up with SK Gaming to release the “Back in Black” collection, and are the apparel sponsor of T1, providing T-shirts and hoodies.
Beyond these household names, there are also brands that focus exclusively on the esports and gaming market, with niches of their own. Female-led Ateyo from the USA have recently partnered with Girls Make Games for their The Future is Bright collection. EsportsGear were established in 2018 and have been partners with Esports Awards since 2019. Chinese ONWEAR have apparel partnerships with Syman Gaming and Team SELECTED of Korea.
Esports teams and apparel
While big-name sportswear brands are moving into the space, established esports organizations are also aware of the importance of merchandise sales and lifestyle imagery. Most major teams now prominently display their apparel and merchandise on their websites.
When you visit OG’s webpage, the first prominent image you encounter is that of their apparel. You can go through a selection of sportswear, mugs, plushies and scarves without scrolling down once.
Ninjas in Pyjamas are another prominent squad who care deeply about their merchandise. They have several different collections like Lagom and Shinobi Shozoku, and you can even buy a T-shirt immortalizing the love and bromance between NiP and Vitality.
Like NiP’s Lagom line, esports organizations want their fans to present their colors all throughout their day. Astralis present casualwear in their shop and have combined forces with Hummel, while Guild Esports welcome visitors to their website with swaggy images of their limited edition Patch collection designed by legendary Londoner Fergus Purcell, in addition to their core line. Their slogan “Wear Guild with pride” summarizes what all these teams want: to furnish their fans with a sense of community and heightened self-image.
As esports and gaming continue to grow at an exponential rate, more and more companies will continue to enter and evolve in this hyper-dynamic market. This cross-industry, cross-platform, amalgamous ecosystem allows teams and brands to design footwear and emojis with the same ease, which points towards even more integration in the future.
