London-based esports organisation Fnatic has announced a global partnership with smartphone manufacturer OnePlus.
The two parties have worked together since Paris Games Week in 2017, and reprised their collaboration at the 2018 iteration of the event.
Sam Mathews, Founder and Chairman of Fnatic discussed the partnership in a statement: “This is a hugely significant moment in the history of Fnatic. I’ve known Carl Pei for a long time and we’ve always shared the same mantra of challenging the norm and always looking for more – be it success with our teams, our products or as brands. We share the same values when it comes to performance and becoming the best we can possibly be, so in OnePlus we have the perfect partner to take Fnatic into a new era.”
The deal was announced during Legends in Action Live, a live-streamed episode that saw Fnatic players debut a new jersey ahead of the inaugural LEC season. OnePlus’ logo is front and center on the jersey, taking over the spot in which ‘Fnatic’ has been displayed in the past.
Carl Pei, Co-founder of OnePlus added: “Gaming has always been central to OnePlus and working with Fnatic was, from the beginning, a natural partnership born from friendship: two like-minded organizations looking to push the boundaries. We’re excited for this to be our first-ever global sponsorship in esports! Together, we’ll continue to change industries and attitudes, through a joint passion to Never Settle.”
Just a matter of days ago, Fnatic announced a partnership with Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX). The deal includes the distribution of digital collectibles and physical merchandise through WAX’s blockchain platform.
In addition to OnePlus and WAX, the organisation is also partnered with Rivalry.gg, DreamTeam, Chillblast, Deezer, Monster Energy, DXRacer, Newzoo, Strafe, and AMD. It fields teams in CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, FIFA, Clash Royale, and Street Fighter V.
Esports Insider says: Fnatic and OnePlus have worked together on several initiatives over the last couple of years so it’s not a huge surprise to see the partnership become official, but it’s still a good move for Fnatic nonetheless. With the emergence of mobile esports, there’s further room for this partnership to grow in the future too should both parties deem it appropriate.