Performance and perfection? Look no further than esports. Oakley, a brand rooted in sport performance and optical innovation, announced it has signed a wide-ranging partnership with esports and entertainment organization, Envy Gaming.
The deal represents Oakley’s first sponsorship of an esports team and further cement the brand in the ever-growing gaming space.
Envy and OpTic Gaming, which merged in late 2021, are two of the most storied brands in esports, and a driving force in the rapid growth of fan culture around esports and gaming-as-entertainment over the last 15 years.
The teams and talent under the OpTic brands will wear Oakley Authentic Prescription during competitive play online and at major LAN events as well as outside the arena including Oakley’s first eyeglass designed specifically for adult gamers, NXTLVL. NXTLVL are available with the brand’s first optical solution developed specifically for gaming – Prizm™ Gaming Lens Technology.
The lenses are engineered to enhance visual contrast and provide sharp vision, featuring blue-light filtering technology without compromising on aesthetic.
The unique temple architecture is crafted to provide a comfortable, long-lasting fit while wearing headsets and features a larger square lens shape designed to provide an unobstructed field of view for a best-in-class gaming experience.
“The world of esports is continuing to grow and It’s key that we continue to level up our commitment to the world of gaming,” said Corey Hill, Head of Global Sports Marketing at Oakley.
“New athletes are showing up in the scene every day and we pride ourselves in making sure we provide advanced eyewear for gamers of every level. Teaming up with a partner like Envy Gaming allows Oakley to reach talent and build on our offerings in the space.”
For OpTic player Seth “Scump” Abner, arguably the most popular Call of Duty player of all time, the deal builds on Oakley’s commitment to partner and develop products for the world’s best.
In 2021, Oakley made a bold claim on esports by signing Scump as the brand’s first and only professional esports player to the roster of Team Oakley elite athletes that includes trailblazers Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Derwin James, Kylian Mbappé, and Olympians Mikaela Shiffrin and Chloe Kim. Scump went on to be named a Forbes 30U30 honoree and the two-time X Games gold medalist now counts more than 30 esports championships to his name.
“I’m excited to see that Oakley continues to expand and support the gaming and esports community with their recent partnership with OpTic,” said Scump.
As part of the partnership, Oakley is now a jersey sponsor for top-ranked OpTic Halo and OpTic Valorant teams, as well as OpTic Texas in the Call of Duty League.
The Oakley brand was front and center on broadcast during record-breaking viewership of the Call of Duty League 2022 Major I tournament in March 2022 where OpTic Texas took home the $200,000 championship and recently made a splash on the worldwide stage as the OpTic Valorant team claimed its spot as the top-ranked Valorant team in the world, winning the VALORANT Champions Tour 2022: Stage 1 championship held in Reykjavík, Iceland. More than 1 million concurrent viewers tuned in online. A legacy of professional players and gaming celebrities got their start or big break with the organization and went on to spawn disruption in the industry or launch businesses that have built and expanded gaming culture.
“Oakley’s commitment to creating positive change, disruption, and the innovative spirit they bring to their products and partnerships is a great fit for what we embody,” said Adam Rymer, CEO at Envy Gaming.
“As more and more athletes, celebrities, musicians, and entertainers – look no further than Oakley’s roster of athletes – turn to gaming as a pastime and competitive outlet, we see an endless runway of opportunities for our partnership.”
Oakley will become the exclusive eyewear partner for the OpTic brand professional players in the organization during all competitive matches and streams.
For more information, visit Glasses for Gaming: Oakley E-Sports | Oakley® US.