North American esports organisation Cloud9 has unveiled a partnership to bring Beyblade X to its esports fans.
Through a collaboration with ADK Emotions NY Inc. and T-Licensing Inc., the licensing behind Beyblade X, the partnership will include co-branded apparel and content. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The deal comes a few weeks prior to the start of the Beyblade X World Championship, the international BeyBlade competition which will take place in Tokyo, Japan.
Leveraging Beyblade’s 25-year franchise history, Cloud9 looks to bring the fanbases together in yet another crossover between the young mainstream culture.
Jonathan Tran, President at Cloud9, commented: “At Cloud9, we believe in the power of competition to inspire, connect, and build community – and that’s exactly what BEYBLADE has done for 25 years. Just like esports, BEYBLADE X thrives on passion, strategy, and the thrill of play that brings fans together across the world. This collaboration is more than a partnership; it’s a celebration of the competitive spirit that unites our communities and fuels Cloud9’s esports legacy with BEYBLADE X’s thrilling stories.”
The surge of Anime and Esports crossovers
Whilst being an iconic toy brand, Bayblade has crossed over into many forms of media. Notably, this includes the anime sector through the creation of various standalone series, the latest of which is Bayblade X.
Several esports teams have also looked into anime partnerships throughout the years, most of which are centred around content and apparel. This includes Sentinels’ first-ever anime collaboration with the global sports series Haikyuu!!, in a partnership with streaming service Crunchyroll.
Other notable anime and esports collaborations include 100 Thieves and Dragon Ball, Team Liquid and Naruto, Team Solo Mid (TSM) launching My Hero Academia and Full Metal Alchemist merchandise, and Crunchyroll teaming up with fighting game showcase EVO 2023.
Founded in 2013, Cloud9 is one of the most famous organisations in the North American esports scene. Based in Los Angeles, California, the team competes in League of Legends, VALORANT, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six Siege, and Apex Legends, among others.
Recently, the team has failed to qualify for the League of Legends World Championship, following the elimination by 100 Thieves in the LTA North 2025 Split 3.
