eSports

KITKAT BECOMES MAIN PARTNER OF THE LEC 2021 AND LAUNCHES “MISSION CONTROL” WITH SPORTFIVE

Published

5 years ago

January 20, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

KitKat extends its partnership with the Esports League of Legends European Championship (LEC) as Main Partner for 2021. Global sports business agency SPORTFIVE secured the deal and produced a hero commercial for the kick-off.

After enabling KitKat’s first and successful experience within the esports ecosystem last year, sports business agency SPORTFIVE again is the chocolate brand’s esports lead agency of choice and delivers an integrated and comprehensive solution for KitKat: From facilitating and concluding the rights deal over consulting to the execution of final activation, ranging from campaigning and producing the new commercial to social media content and sweepstakes.

As one of the most iconic chocolate brands in the world, KitKat offers the perfect opportunity to lean back and enjoy breaks from the League of Legends European Championship actions. All gaming and esports activations reflect KitKat’s DNA: humorous, empathic and unpretentious. Under the claim “Even the Biggest Champ Needs A Break” the brand is picking up typical gamer situations, linking it to what the brand stands for: relaxing breaks that bring a smile, especially in situations where gamers feel tilted.

As part of the extended partnership in 2021, SPORTFIVE created a sub campaign around the claim “Even the Biggest Champ Needs A Break” and produced a 30 seconds hero commercial with the title “MISSION CONTROL”, extending the story around gaming breaks being a crucial part of a gamers lifestyle.

“Putting a gamer in front of the monitor and placing the brand logo next to it? Anyone can do that. This is why we are following another approach and are kicking off the LEC partnership with a specially produced image spot that brings fun, entertainment and shows the gamer from a ‘different side’. We are presenting the gamer multifaced. As a gamer sometimes you struggle with yourself: Should I continue playing after a loose streak? Should I think of the team first or my own performance? We create situations that every gamer can relate to and literally jump into the head – the MISSION CONTROL” | Georg Fischer, Marketing Manager for KitKat in Europe, Middle East and North Africa

KitKat is leaving space for every distinctive character trait of a gamer, giving each characteristic a brief but memorable stage to shine: SKILL is responsible for motor skills, REASON for analyzing situations neutrally. MIND is the brain and INTELLIGENCE keeps a cool head and always makes the right decisions. And then we have EGO – a character that does not contribute much to the team effort but is indispensable for gamers. When a team is not working together as planned, the only thing that helps is bringing relaxation into the chaos through a break, enjoying KitKat chocolate and getting a new perspective. After this break every gamer will find the balance that can lead to victory. More episodes and side stories will be gradually launched on various social media platforms.

“The extension and the associated upgrade of KitKat in the LEC as Main Partner fully pays off the success of the partnership as well as the activations to date. Together with KitKat, we want to communicate the positive side of breaks with a wink and focus on the fun in and out of the community. We are starting the new year with MISSION CONTROL and still have a lot of plans for KitKat in 2021” | Eike Gyllensvärd, Executive Vice President Global Esports Partnerships at SPORTFIVE

“We’re so happy to be signing on again with KitKat as one of our main partners for 2021. We had such a fruitful time together in 2020, with KitKat helping us to deliver some top level content for our fans,” says Alban Dechelotte, Head of Sponsorships & New Business EU Esports at Riot Games. “KitKat started with a pilot initially, with a relatively low level of activity; so it’s incredible that they have recognized the value of our partnership to the extent that they are now one of the major league esports partners across the LEC and local leagues and teams across Europe.”

eSports

NODWIN Gaming partners Runestone on integrity and real-time data for esports events

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

nodwin-gaming-partners-runestone-on-integrity-and-real-time-data-for-esports-events

Deal launches with NODWIN Clutch Series as the companies target better oversight and more interactive broadcasts across Tier 2 CS2 and beyond.

NODWIN Gaming has signed a strategic partnership with Prague-based esports technology company Runestone to add integrity monitoring and real-time data tools across NODWIN’s global tournament portfolio. The companies said the collaboration has launched with the NODWIN Clutch Series.

NODWIN and Runestone positioned the deal around tournament oversight and broadcast engagement, as organizers increasingly use data-driven tooling to support fair competition and build more interactive viewing experiences.

The partnership begins on a Tier 2 Counter-Strike 2 property. The latest edition ended with BIG winning NODWIN Clutch Series 5, beating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online tournament.

Speaking on the partnership Teemu Koski, Chief Business Officer at NODWIN Gaming MENA and Global Head of Data Monetization, said, “We’re excited to partner with Runestone as we continue expanding our competitive gaming portfolio across high-growth regions and titles. Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise in real-time data and integrity infrastructure complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs and competitive ecosystems. Together, we’re able to strengthen tournament operations while unlocking richer engagement experiences for fans. Starting with the NODWIN Clutch Series for CS2, we see strong potential to expand this collaboration across new IPs, new regions, and new competitive formats.”

Michael Schwartz, Head of Partnerships at Runestone, added, “NODWIN Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with a partner that shares our focus on building sustainable competitive ecosystems. By combining NODWIN’s experience in operating global esports IPs with Runestone’s integrity and engagement infrastructure, we can support tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable operational tools. Supporting the NODWIN Clutch Series is an exciting starting point, and we’re looking forward to expanding into new titles, formats, and regions together.”

The post NODWIN Gaming partners Runestone on integrity and real-time data for esports events appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

brand-partnership

G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-names-skin.club-official-skin-partner-for-its-cs2-team

Skin.Club branding will appear on G2 jerseys, social channels and content series, with in-person activations planned.

G2 has partnered with Skin.Club as the official skin partner for its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) team, with the deal spanning team jerseys, content and live experiences.

Under the agreement, Skin.Club will feature on G2’s CS2 team jersey as an official partner. The partnership also includes logo placement across G2’s social channels and integration within content series throughout the year, plus a “series of in-person activations,” according to the companies.

“Partnering with Skin.Club marks an exciting step forward for our G2 CS team,” said Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2. “We’re always looking to work with brands that genuinely understand the Counter-Strike community, and Skin.Club brings both passion and innovation to the space. Together, we aim to create engaging experiences for fans while continuing to push the competitive ambitions of our roster.”

“At Skin.Club, we’re focused on creating experiences that bring the Counter-Strike community closer together,” said Dan Tar, CMO of Skin.Club. “Collaborating with G2 allows us to work alongside one of the most iconic teams in esports and deliver new ways for fans to engage. Drive, Love, Counter-Strike!”

Financial terms and the partnership duration were not disclosed.

The post G2 names Skin.Club official skin partner for its CS2 team appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Counter-Strike 2

Stake and Team Vitality launch Counter-Strike fan giveaway

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

Five custom gaming PC rigs, each set up by a Vitality Counter-Strike player, are available via the Stake Community Forum.

Stake has partnered with esports organisation Team Vitality on an exclusive fan giveaway tied to the Counter-Strike 2 ecosystem, offering five bespoke gaming PC rigs customised by players from Vitality’s Counter-Strike roster.

According to the companies, each setup is built to competitive standards and reflects a player’s individual preferences and playstyle. The rigs include an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, an ASUS RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and ASUS B850M motherboards with integrated Wi‑Fi, alongside a 750W 80+ Gold power supply.

Team Vitality is Stake’s official esports partner, and the giveaway is positioned as part of a broader campaign around the Stake Ranked series, described by Stake as the latest instalment in its calendar of Counter-Strike 2 LAN events.

Fans can enter by creating a Stake Community Forum account and replying to the official competition post with their Stake username.

Mezii, Team Vitality said: “I’m really excited to see this PC. It’s a super clean custom build, with great attention to detail and a strong overall aesthetic. Huge thanks to Stake for delivering something that looks sharp and really captures the vibe we’re bringing to the server.”

The post Stake and Team Vitality launch Counter-Strike fan giveaway appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.