By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
If you needed any more proof esports has become a big deal in licensing, consider that high-end fashion house Ralph Lauren has been named as the exclusive fashion outfitter to the G2 Esports team.
That’s the kind of announcement you expect from Olympic national teams or FIFA, but with esports attendance and revenues soaring, smart licensees of all stripes are getting into the competitive gaming space.
G2 Esports is a European esports organization headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with players competing in League of Legends, Valorant, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, and iRacing.
G2’s League of Legends team competes in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), the highest level of competitive League of Legends in Europe. The team has won 10 domestic titles in Europe, the most of any organization, and became the only Western team to win the Mid-Season Invitational in 2019. The organization’s Rainbow Six Siege team competes in the European League (EUL), the highest level of competitive Rainbow Six Siege in Europe. The team became World Champion in 2019 by defeating Team Empire in the Six Invitational 2019 final and won several more Tier 1 tournaments.
The organization was founded in Spain on Feb. 24, 2014, as Gamers2 by former League of Legends professional competitor Carlos “Ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago and investor Jens Hilgers. The organization rebranded as G2 Esports on Oct. 15, 2015.
Athletes and creators will wear the inaugural G2 Esports x Ralph Lauren capsule collection, including T-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, tracksuits and caps, all featuring the newly designed Polo x G2 crest.
“We are really excited to announce this collection with Ralph Lauren,” says Sabrina Ratih, chief operating officer, G2 Esports. “At G2, partnerships are all about creating better experiences and offerings for the consumer, bringing fans closer to the brand, and attracting new audiences. This collaboration does all of that and more.”
The collection connects fashion, gaming and lifestyle so fans can wear items inside and outside the arena.
The collection was debuted by G2’s League of Legends team when they competed in the LEC Summer Playoffs on July 15.
The complete G2 Esports x Ralph Lauren collection is available on G2’s website.