eSports
Study: 400m Gen Z esports fans say brand activations drive purchases
EFG, Hero Esports and Niko Partners survey 8,000 fans across eight markets; 74% report ads and brand presence influence buying.
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), Hero Esports and Niko Partners have released a multi-country Gen Z esports study claiming around 400 million Gen Z consumers (20%) regularly engage with esports. The findings were published on 25th June 2026 in Cannes, France, in a white paper titled The Esports Generation: Who They Are & Why They Spend.
The report is based on survey data from 8,000 Gen Z esports fans aged 13-30 across eight markets. It positions esports as a high-attention channel for brands: 85% of respondents said they notice branding in esports, while 74% self-reported that advertising and brand participation in gaming spaces influences their purchasing behaviour. The study also reports that 66% have bought a product following a collaboration or co-branding partnership with an esports team, game or player.
On consumption and fandom touchpoints, the study found 71% regularly watch gaming content, including 66% who watch gaming livestreams and 33% who watch or listen to gaming podcasts. It also points to offline reach: 21% said they regularly attend gaming conventions and esports events, with the average respondent attending at least one in-person event in the past nine months.
The white paper also breaks out claimed purchase categories linked to esports collaborations over the past year, led by food and beverage (33%), electronics (33%) and fashion (32%). Beyond core categories, it reports 28% bought esports-related collectibles, 17% purchased makeup, beauty, or skincare products, and 10% bought from partnered brands in other categories.
Niccolo Maisto, CEO at ESL FACEIT Group said: “Esports has evolved into one of the most effective channels for companies looking to connect with Gen Z audiences at scale. What makes it unique is not just its reach, but the depth of engagement and trust that exists between fans, players, teams, and events. This research shows that esports fans are highly invested participants, not passive viewers, creating an opportunity for brands that show up authentically and build meaningful and lasting connections with this key audience.”
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports said: “This whitepaper confirms what we at Hero Esports have long believed: esports has evolved into a global cultural and economic force. The data shows an audience that is young, diverse, and deeply engaged. For brands, the message is clear—esports is no longer a niche market; it is the premier platform to connect with the next generation of consumers. We are proud to partner with Niko Partners and EFG to provide this blueprint for understanding and succeeding in this dynamic industry.”
Lisa Hanson, CEO at Niko Partners said: “Our data shows that, much like fans of other sports, Gen Z esports fans are incredibly passionate and have formed strong bonds within their communities. However, their media and consumer affinities extend well beyond gaming and esports, with our research revealing naturally connected interest areas that create valuable overlapping opportunities for brands and partners that show up authentically in this ecosystem.”
The post Study: 400m Gen Z esports fans say brand activations drive purchases appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
anime
G2 drops limited-edition One Piece streetwear capsule on June 25
The esports organisation’s second anime apparel collaboration will be sold exclusively via g2esports.com/shop.
G2 is launching a limited-edition G2 | One Piece capsule collection on June 25, with the drop available exclusively through the organisation’s online store at g2esports.com/shop.
The collection is inspired by One Piece’s Gear 5 Monkey D. Luffy and includes hoodies, zip-ups, t-shirts, caps, sleeves, and tote bags. According to G2, the items use a black-and-white palette and feature a minimalist embroidered logo alongside a custom G2 | One Piece Jolly Roger that combines the G2 samurai emblem with Luffy’s straw hat.
“At G2, we’re continuing to push the culture and fashion of esports beyond competition alone, and this One Piece collection is a natural extension of that,” says Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports. “We wanted to create a capsule that continues to elevate the esports fashion space – understated, premium, and stylish enough for everyday wear, while still carrying the spirit of adventure, ambition, and individuality that defines One Piece and G2 alike. Every piece is designed to bridge the gap between fandom and everyday style, and continuing our mission to redefine what esports fashion can be.”
G2 described the drop as its second anime collaboration, following a previous apparel collaboration with Solo Leveling. The company positioned the release as part of its broader effort to connect esports, anime, and streetwear.
One Piece debuted in 1999 and remains one of the largest anime franchises globally. G2 cited over 600 million manga copies sold and more than 1,160 episodes for the series.
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eSports
How Not to Tilt When Facing Challenges: NAVI Performance Coach Urszula Klimczak and GG.BET Have Released a Special Project about Mental Health
NAVI Performance Coach Urszula Klimczak and NAVI’s title sponsor GG.BET have unveiled Tilt Management, a special project dedicated to mental health. The initiative consists of three in-depth articles covering demotivation, burnout, and dealing with hate – some of the most common mental health challenges faced not only by esports players, but also by their fans. The project places a strong emphasis on practical value, featuring real-life esports cases, proven advice and everyday practices, as well as self-support exercises readers can apply on their own.
Mental health is becoming increasingly relevant year after year, regardless of profession or lifestyle. Many of the challenges professional players experience are familiar to millions of people in their everyday lives. These include loss of purpose, poor work-life balance, conflicts within teams, vulnerability to criticism, and more. While esports professionals can rely on performance coaches and team staff for support, people outside the industry often have to seek professional help on their own – something that does not always happen. One of the key goals of the project is to support people who may not have access to professional guidance by explaining how different issues manifest themselves, offering practical tools for self-care and recovery, and highlighting when it is important to seek help from specialists.
The first article focuses on demotivation. It explains how to recognize its early signs, how to distinguish it from simple exhaustion, and what NAVI does to prevent players from reaching this state. Particular attention is paid to techniques that help regain focus, manage daily routines, and gradually restore energy.
The second article explores burnout both within and beyond esports. Readers can assess themselves using descriptions of the five stages of burnout and their symptoms, learn about NAVI’s approach to maintaining performance under a demanding schedule, and discover why variety in everyday life and taking smaller, more frequent breaks are essential elements of burnout prevention.
The final chapter of the project addresses hate and negativity. It explains why hatred and aggression ultimately say more about the hater than the target, how to establish healthy boundaries, and how to avoid being consumed by criticism – especially self-criticism. NAVI’s strategy for dealing with hate, combined with practical exercises, can help readers to challenge negative thoughts and distinguish constructive feedback from a stream of harmful negativity.
All articles from the Tilt Management special project are available on EGamersWorld.
The post How Not to Tilt When Facing Challenges: NAVI Performance Coach Urszula Klimczak and GG.BET Have Released a Special Project about Mental Health appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
Esports Nations Cup 2026 Announces Official VALORANT Rosters
The Esports Foundation (EF) confirmed the official roster submissions and direct invite recipients for the VALORANT tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2-29, 2026.
111 rosters representing 111 countries and territories have been officially submitted and confirmed for the VALORANT tournament. 32 of those rosters will compete at the ENC Finals for VALORANT, with 16 countries and territories receiving direct invitations through the official ENC 2026 Rankings. The system has scored, accumulated and ranked submitted roster player performances across all official Riot Games competitions through the conclusion of Masters London. Those invited countries and territories, and their submitted rosters, are:
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – trent, valyn, leaf, zekken, skuba, Ethan and Cryocells
• REPUBLIC OF KOREA – iZu, BuZz, Francis, Munchkin, Ivy and Dambi
• PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA – ZmjKK, CHICHOO, nobody, Knight, slowly, K1Ra and Lysoar
• CANADA – TenZ, mada, eeiu, Marved, JonahP, koalanoob and Zander
• TÜRKIYE – Alfajer, Ruxic, Lar0k, RieNs, xeus, Wo0t and s0pp
• BRAZIL – aspas, artzin, spikeziN, Less, Sacy, Sato and lukxo
• SINGAPORE – Deryeon, Jinggg, nephh, STYRON, wayne, Vera and JayH
• POLAND – kayak, kamo, starxo, PROFEK, westside, paTiTek and UNFAKE
• PHILIPPINES – Zeus, kellyS, xavi8k, invy, PatMen, Markyyy and Wild0reoo
• GREAT BRITAIN – Lime, Severe, benjyfishy, keiko, Ticey and YaBoiLewis
• CHINESE TAIPEI – Nicc, SpiritZ1, WsLeo, Spring, S1Mon and Yuicaw
• MALAYSIA – d4v41, theDoctorr, xan, Riza, Fixy, toggle and aplycs
• FINLAND – Jamppi, Derke, iluri, Famsii, H1ber, hoody and Snowi
• LITHUANIA – Boo, MiniBoo, Koshmaras, Kajuks, Destrian, roxie and vakk
• THAILAND – killua, Primmie, JitboyS, PTC, Apinya and Kadoom
• CHILE – kiNgg, erde, Mazino, keznit, Tunaso, Shyy and david
A clear favourite emerges near the top of the rankings: the US. G2 Esports’ highly decorated and highly dangerous trio of trent, valyn, leaf lead the way for the US, with multiple VCT Americas stage trophies to their names, and the desire to finally claim an international trophy still in their hearts. Joining them though are a handful of superstars that have won on VALORANT’s biggest stages: VALORANT’s only two-time world champion Ethan, his reigning world champion NRG teammates skuba, and former Masters Madrid winner zekken of MIBR, joined by one of the game’s most elite players in Cryocells. The best of the best from one of the game’s strongest regions are all together on one roster, and expectations are sky high.
But they only have to look north to spot an equally dangerous contender. Leading Canada is one of Ethan and skuba’s teammates, fellow world champion mada. Joining him are more VCT Americas standout players in FURIA duo eeiu and koalanoob, and Sentinels’ jonahP. And coming out of retirement to compete for Canada are two former Sentinels stars, and Masters winners, in TenZ and Marved. A match between Canada and the US at ENC would be a dream come true for VALORANT fans not just in North America, but around the world.
Brazil is bringing back former champions of their own. Sacy, the only VALORANT player to be able to claim a Masters and a Champions trophy, is back with his former teammate Aspas and less, alongside FURIA’s artzin and LEVIATAN’s spikezin. LEVIATAN’s tremendous victory at Masters London not only drastically improved Brazil’s ranking, but allowed kiNgg and Chile to just narrowly sneak into the top 16 and secure an invite.
Nongshim RedForce trio Francis, Ivy and Dambi will make up the core of the team representing South Korea, with DRX star BuZz and Gen.G star Munchkin joining them, while the People’s Republic of China roster is bolstered by an equally dangerous trio in ZmjKK, CHICHOO and nobody from EDward Gaming. Across Europe, a number of prolific duos will attempt to bring glory to their home nations, including Vitality twosome Derke and Jamppi for Finland, keiko and EWC 2025 champion Benjyfishy for Great Britain, and brothers Boo and MiniBoo for Lithuania. Teams from Singapore, Türkiye, Poland and the Philippines are also decorated with sensational talent and former trophy winners.
With Masters London concluded and invites to the top 16 teams sent out, the attention turns to the online regional qualifiers taking place June 26-28. The top two teams from the qualifiers for North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia and Southeast Asia/Oceania will qualify for ENC, alongside the sole winners of the MENA qualifier and the Sub Saharan African qualifier. The final two teams will go to Wildcard slots.
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