In June of this year, compLexity Gaming announced a new partnership with apparel brand H4X, stating that “our brands are a natural fit”. With this in mind, we spoke to Daniel Herz, Chief Revenue Officer of compLexity Gaming about the organisation’s new partner to dig a little into the origin of the deal and what’s to come.
Esports Insider: Do you think gaming-focused clothing can genuinely help with the performance of professional players, and if so, how?
Daniel Herz: I definitely think performance-based clothing can help our athletes. Like in traditional sports, they are spending hours and hours training behind a desk each day, as well as in the gym.
We want to help them stay healthy and extend their careers as much as we can, so providing them with the tools to do so is extremely important to us. I also know from talking to our athletes and our staff, that performance is boosted by a confidence boost. So having our players in apparel that makes them comfortable and looks good is going to have them play better too.
ESI: How did this partnership come about? Were you searching specifically for an apparel partner or did the opportunity arise another way?
Daniel: After joining compLexity a few months back, one of my first goals was to revamp our apparel. We wanted to have a partner that didn’t just have expertise in the world of apparel, but also in the world of esports. We wanted a partner that truly understood what we were trying to accomplish with our fans and our athletes in mind – which led us to H4X. H4X shared our goals in pushing esports performance along with the need for our athletes and fans to look good.
“Our goal is to create a ton of items that are special and specific for our fans.“
ESI: Ultimately, what was it about H4X’s offering that made you agree to enter the deal?
Daniel: It was the shared vision we had. One of our main focuses as an organization is player care. We’re working extremely hard to [become] an industry leader in this department, raise the bar to new industry standards. From furnished luxury apartments to hiring a Director of Performance from IMG Academy all the way to allowing our players to take advantage of the healthy prepared meals at the Dallas Cowboys Training Table (in the Dallas Cowboys cafeteria).
H4X and their vision aligned extremely well with that right away. We have been working with their design team to create actual performance gear that fits the needs of our athletes. We even flew a team from H4X down here to Frisco, TX to meet with our organization and pick the brain of our athletes to give them a better appreciation for the product and H4X a better understanding of the actual needs in this space. It just was a great match right away.
ESI: When the news was announced, a limited edition performance jacket was made available for purchase. Can compLexity fans expect to see more exclusive items in the future or was it a one-off?
Daniel: Our goal is to create a ton of items that are special and specific for our fans. In traditional sports, you see this all the time. The NFL is doing their special Color Rush jerseys or the NBA doing Christmas Day jerseys, we want to provide the same opportunities for our fans. We have a lot of designs already in the works to celebrate who we are as a team, what we represent as an organization and what our fans are all about.
“The key to our growth as an organization is our fans.“
ESI: Do you see an apparel partnership as a key avenue for growth for compLexity?
Daniel: The key to our growth as an organization is our fans. Apparel gives our fans a physical connection, a bond, to our organization and an opportunity for them to support this organization. We want to make sure our fans can get the best apparel in the industry, to proudly and comfortably show their support for our teams and players.
ESI: Has your approach to entering partnerships changed at all since the acquisition in November 2017?
Daniel: Before the acquisition, compLexity was built around “eat what you kill”. Sponsorships were used to pay players and run the overall business. Over the past few years with the large influx of money coming into the space, that antiquated model seized to be sustainable in the long run. So with the acquisition, we could change our philosophy. We are in a unique position where we have a strong financial backing that we know will support us for years to come, so we can be more targeted. It allows us to seek and create true partnerships, working with brands to build a foundation of growth for now and the future. Our goal is to with brands to accomplish our goals together, as true partners with a strong emphasis on supporting this community and industry.
Want to hear more from Daniel Herz? He’ll be speaking at ESI London in September alongside Jason Lake, CEO & Founder of compLexity Gaming. Get your tickets while you can!
