KIA continues League of Legends takeover with Cloud9 partnership

13 October 2023

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Cloud9, KIA partnership
Image credit: Cloud9 via X (@C9LoL)

North American esports organisation Cloud9 has announced a partnership with KIA America, the American branch of the Korean car maker.

The deal will revolve around Cloud9’s League of Legends team, which will be competing at the 2023 LoL World Championship.

The two brands will focus on creating content, engaging fan experiences, and exploring the intersection of technology, gaming, and automotive innovation.

Fans will be able to see behind-the-scenes access to see how the Cloud9 team prepares for the world’s largest League of Legends competition. In-depth opportunities to meet the players and understand how they work were also mentioned.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This sponsorship marks the second deal by KIA America in two days, following the announced partnership with another LCS team NRG Esports on October 12th.

Additionally, KIA is the main partner for the LEC (League of Legends EMEA Championship), as well as a name sponsor for South Korean esports organisation Dplus KIA, establishing itself as one of the most active brands in the League of Legends competitive scene.

ESJ long banner

Jack Etienne, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloud9, commented: “Cloud9 is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in esports, and working with Kia allows us to do just that thanks to a mutual commitment to innovation, performance, and continuous improvement.

“Kia shares our vision for innovation and excellence, and we are thrilled to explore the opportunities this sponsorship will bring to our fans and the esports community.”

Founded in 2013, Cloud9 is a leading esports organisation based in Los Angeles, California. It is regarded as one of the most successful and recognisable esports teams in North America and Europe, with its teams competing in various esports titles such as League of Legends, VALORANT and Counter-Strike.

Davide Xu