OpTic Gaming‘s Dota 2 team has received a jersey sponsorship from esports betting platform VKGame.
This deal comes ahead of The International 8, a prestigious annual tournament that currently has a prize pool of over $23 million (£18 million).
VKGame will be the exclusive esports betting partner for OpTic Gaming’s Dota 2 squad, and will see its logo included in “a large range of visual branding” including jersey and in-game branding. OpTic Gaming will be listed as the premier esports team partner on VKGame’s website.
VKGame offers betting on numerous esports titles, such as the likes of Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. OpTic Gaming as an organisation is partnered with gaming controller brand SCUF Gaming, gaming chair company DXRacer, and headset brand Turtle Beach.
A number of sponsorships are being announced ahead of The International, as companies look at capitalise off of the potential exposure for the tournament by putting logos and brands on team’s jerseys. Just recently, Virtus.pro decided to temporarily change its logo and jerseys to the colours of one of its new partners: MegaFon; the Russian organisation also welcomed Parimatch as a jersey sponsor this month. PSG.LGD – the Dota 2 team cohoused by PSG and LGD Gaming – revealed energy drinks brand Monster Energy as a jersey sponsor earlier this month, too.
Esports Insider says: Considering OpTic Gaming is a North American organisation, it seems sensible that its branding will be displayed prominently on VKGame’s website and, subsequently, it will be exposed to the Southeast Asian market.