Digital trading card app Epics has entered a deal with Denmark-based RFRSH Entertainment for its upcoming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, BLAST Pro Series: Istanbul.
This partnership will go on beyond Istanbul, and will see a number of card packs and player cards be introduced into Epics’ library of collectibles.
Mark Donovan, Co-founder of Epics spoke to The Esports Observer about the deal: “The fans loved it with many asking, ‘where can I buy these?’ That was a big part of us feeling like BLAST would be a perfect showcase for our digital collectibles and made us want to pursue a relationship. Viewers will see our product heavily integrated into the Istanbul stream and with each event, we plan to add more exclusive and innovative content that esports fans are looking for.”
If this news sounds somewhat familiar, it’s because Epics did the exact same thing with FACEIT around the time of the CS:GO Major in London. The two parties worked together to create cards based on the players competing at the prestigious event, allowing users to collect different players from a variety of teams. This will also be the case with BLAST Pro Series going forward.
Recently, RFRSH agreed on a deal with GINX Esports TV that would see the event in Istanbul broadcast on both Sky and Virgin Media in the United Kingdom. The BLAST Pro Series: Istanbul is a tournament involving six teams with $250,000 (£190,331.25) up for grabs. The action kicks off on September 28th.
Epics works directly with teams and is fully licensed, already partnering with the likes of Astralis, compLexity Gaming, G2 Esports, MIBR, Ninjas in Pyjamas, OpTic Gaming, and Virtus.pro.
Esports Insider says: We’re a big fan of the huge wave of nostalgia you’re hit with with Epics, and merging that with the digital age seems like a great idea. With a solid roster of teams on board, it seems like a logical step for Epics to bring in tournament-based cards for those who are really keen on collecting.