North American esports organisation Sentinels has announced a partnership with energy drink brand ADVANCED to launch a new product.
Called ‘Hopium’, the energy drink is the first product developed by the two brands and its the start of a year-long partnership between both entities.
ADVANCED is a supplement and energy drink brand from the United States that focuses on the gaming audience. ADVANCED offers several product lines, ranging from energy powders that dissolve in water to carbonated energy drinks, teas, vitamin gummies, and other supplements.
The new energy drink’s name, Hopium, is inspired by the word’s usage in the gaming and esports communities to describe hope for good results. Hopium was further popularised by Riot Games in 2021 when the company created a mock ad describing hopium as a drug that keeps ‘realistic expectations’ out of one’s mind while keeping them happy and positive. Sentinels has often use the term hopium in its social media posts.
Sentinels has created a version of ADVANCED’s energy drink powder blend with a raspberry-lemonade flavour. The product will be co-branded with Sentinels and will be available through the Sentinels and ADVANCED internet stores. As well as the product itself, the two brands have created merchandise to support its launch, including shirts and shakers.
The two brands did not share details about upcoming collaborations, but did note that there will be more products ‘across ADVANCED’s Energy, Hydration, and Focus product lines’.
The launch of Hopium comes at an interesting time for Sentinels. The company notably shared that it needed several millions of dollars to stay afloat earlier this year, and started a fundraising round on StartEngine. In late October, it was revealed that it got $3.4m (~£2.79m) from its ownership group, allowing it to stay in business for several months.
