KCorp’s Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson becomes only the third esports athlete ever to partner with the brand, following in the footsteps of Jian ‘Uzi’ Zi-Ha and Felipe ‘brTT’ Gonçalves.
Nike has become one of the key sportswear partners of the esports world in recent years. In 2018, they signed a multi-year partnership with the LPL that saw them become the exclusive jersey and shoe provider for the region, a deal that is still alive and thriving to this day. That same year, Nike also signed an endorsement deal with Royal Never Give Up’s League of Legends player Uzi, who was featured alongside Chinese actor Bai Jingting and NBA player LeBron James.
Earlier in 2022, Nike partnered with CS:GO tournament operator BLAST for a limited run of streetwear-style apparel, which will become available later this month on August 19.
And now, they’re moving into Western League of Legends, with KCorp AD Carry and European esports legend Rekkles announcing on August 10 that he had become Nike’s latest brand ambassador.
Come check out how I power up ahead of the new season with @Nike 🤝Details below 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Iv457oCuXi
— Martin (@RekklesLoL) August 10, 2022
The partnership includes a featured Rekkles section in the Nike app, customized apparel recommendations and workout plans for esports fans.
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A figurehead for the esports scene
The importance of fitness has become more and more prevalent in esports in recent years. Teams are investing in sports therapy and nutritional support to keep their players at the top of their game, something this partnership is heavily capitalizing on.
As part of the collaboration, Rekkles explains how sports have always been a huge part of his life – from his youth as a dedicated football player to his adulthood as one of the most well-renowned esports athletes in the world, with spells on teams like Fnatic, Alliance and G2 Esports.
The collaboration steers fans towards pre-existing Nike products like planned workouts and guided runs, and has a dedicated apparel section where fans can purchase a curated selection of Nike sportswear. It’s one of the few fan activations we’ve seen in esports that capitalizes on exercise for fans, not just players – offering simple beginner workouts to get even the most exercise-averse esports fan up and moving.
All details of the collaboration can be found exclusively in the Nike app, available for Apple and Google Play.