European esports organisation Team Vitality has expanded into StarCraft II through a strategic partnership with South Korean team ONSYDE.
As a result of the collaboration, Team Vitlaty’s new roster will have its commercial partners Tezos, hummel and Evnia featured on the jersey. The ONSYDE team will also be rebranded to Team Vitality.
A representative from Team Vitality noted to Esports Insider that the organisation will ‘actively contribute’ its industry knowledge to the roster. This includes offering insights into coaching, strategy development and player performance.
Team Vitality’s new roster will make its official debut at IEM Katowice 2024 on February 8th.
Founded in 2022, ONSYDE is the current World Team League champion, one of the top leagues in the Starcraft II ecosystem. Alongside ONSYDE, other notable teams competing in the World Team League are Shopify Rebellion and Team Liquid.
The move into Starcraft is part of the organisation’s global expansion. Team Vitality told Esports Insider that the reason for launching a StarCraft II team was due to the game’s continued popularity in South Korea.
Nicolas Maurer, Co-Founder and CEO of Team Vitality, commented: “Last year was incredibly successful for us, and we’re aiming to maintain the momentum this year by focusing on tier-one games and seizing exciting opportunities. Our entry into the Asian market puts us in the cradle of esports, offering new opportunities for growth and visibility. We hope to connect with passionate new fans worldwide!”
Team Vitalty’s Starcraft II roster consists of Kang ‘Solar’ Min-soo, Cho ‘Maru’ Seong-ju, Kim ‘Ryung’ Dong-won and Coach Choi ‘CranK’ Jae-won.
Despite the new year just being a month in, Team Vitality has already made some significant announcements, particularly within the commercial space. This includes Vodafone Idea partnering with Team Vitality to bolster the Indian ecosystem and renewing four sponsors for 2024.
