Chinese firm Haval has been announced as the exclusive automotive partner of the second season of EPIC League.
The Dota 2 league, operated by Epic Esports Events, is a continuation of the OMEGA League which took place in July.
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The season will be split into two divisions with a total of $550,000 (£419,375) in prize money split between the two. As part of the agreement, the automotive brand will gain a presence on Epic Leagues’ broadcasts with Haval’s logo being shown on-stream. Financial details of the partnership have yet to be revealed.
Jerome Saigot, CEO of Haval Motor Russia, spoke on the deal in a release: “We continue our journey in the esports world, presenting high-tech and intelligent crossovers to an active and modern audience of players and fans. We share the aspiration for new and non-standard solutions: an innovative approach is at the core of Haval brand. We hope that exciting games and memorable victories await us in the upcoming tournament”.
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Division One will consist of ten Dota 2 teams from across the globe. Team Secret, Alliance, Natus Vincere, OG, Virtus.pro, Team Liquid, Team Nigma, and Vikin.gg have received invitations to the tournament while the final two teams will be determined via a closed qualifier.
Haval first entered the industry after signing a deal with Russian organisation Virtus.pro in July. The deal saw the brand become an exclusive automotive sponsor for the organisation.
Sergey Barkhudarian, Commercial Director of ESforce Holding, the parent company of Epic Esports Events, also commented on the partnership: “We are delighted to see Haval among our partners at the new Epic Esports Events tournament again. The brand burst onto the esports scene brightly and already managed to win many esports fans’ hearts in different disciplines.
“Advanced esports audience is interested in the technological automotive innovations of Haval. EPIC League will be the largest and the most interesting tournament to conclude the esports year in Dota 2. We are confident that Haval activations will make it even brighter, more technological and stronger for our audience”.
Esports Insider says: After entering the industry earlier in the year, it’s great to see Haval involved in another partnership. The firm’s willingness to invest resources into esports again also highlights how the potential success of esports deals, particularly when trying to garner a different demographic of customer.