Champion Creates Patented Hoodie for E-gamers
E-gamers are a special breed. And now they’re going to have a hoodie specially designed for them.
Champion Athleticwear has applied for a patent — its first in 50 years — for an oversize hoodie that can be worn over the headsets of e-gamers. The design is intended to block outside distractions and also features narrow sleeves and a rib cuff that will stay in place when pushed up onto the forearms.
The pockets are lined with microfleece to keep hands warm and limber between games and the hoodie also has a zippered kangaroo pocket for phones and a top-loading pocket to hold console controllers. Another zip pocket at the left chest has an internal credit card slot. An interchangeable Velcro patch on the right chest and left shoulder allows gamers to customize their look with team patches to show affiliation in tournaments.
“As a brand that embraces all sports, we wanted to create an unofficial uniform for gamers that modernizes the classic hoodie and recognizes that they are athletes with distinctive needs for their sport,” said David Robertson, director of Champion Global Brand Marketing. “Our Reverse Weave patents came about as we were trying to solve the needs of athletes at the time, and we’ve taken the same approach to create a brand-new design for the gamer lifestyle.”
The hoodie is the anchor piece of a new Gamer Collection that is being introduced today in partnership with a coalition of several e-sports teams and players including HyperX, Dignitas, VENN, PlayVS, the Esports Awards, and influencers FaZe Pamaj, Nate Hill and FaZe Blaze.
The collection was designed in collaboration with the gamers and is intended to blend streetwear styling with comfort and functionality.
“I’ve always loved hoodies, but this is the first hoodie I’ve seen that was designed for gamers,” said Hill, a professional Fortnite player with FaZe Clan. “It’s unique in a lot of ways from the oversize hood that you can wear with a headset to the oversize pockets, large enough to hold my controller. I’ve never had a customizable hoodie where you can take off and add different style patches for different looks. In addition to the unique features, this hoodie is super comfortable and stylish…I’m of the mind ‘look good play good,’ as a gamer this is a must-have hoodie.”
The Gamer Collection will include a pullover hoodie, full-zip hoodie and pants in black and heather gray. The pants retail for $50, the pullover hoodie for $80 and the full-zip hoodie for $90. The collection will be available on the Champion e-commerce site and at its retail stores.
In the past few years Champion has been increasing its exposure with the growing e-gaming community. A limited-edition collection it did with HyperX, the leading headset and keyboard company, last fall sold out in one day and it offered a second collection for international distribution in July. It has also partnered with Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League on a collection for its championship event in New York last year that also sold out immediately. It also provides the official jersey for Dignitas, is the official outfitter of the NBA 2K league and works with organized high school and college e-sports groups.
Robertson said Champion identified e-sports as an opportunity about 18 months ago as it sought to further solidify its standing with a “young, very digitally savvy consumer” for whom this was a “passion point.”
E-sports is projected to account for more than $1 billion in sales this year and approximately $1.6 billion by 2023.
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