Credit: Team Liquid/Riot Games
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An esports upset can leave a large mark, both in the annal’s of its respective game’s history, but also the brand and business value of the victorious team. The Mid-Season Invitational is an annual showcase for top League of Legends team, though only the east Asian teams have ever secured the bragging rights.
That changed this year when North American squad Team Liquid
On the latest TEO Podcast, Team Liquid co-CEO Steve Arhancet explained that this achievement had been a dream (and running internet joke) for the North American region for the better part of seven years. “It has already come to bear in sponsorship and partnership conversations,” he said, noting that the team had been receiving new lines of inquiry as well as reactivating old conversations.
“We also have invested a good amount into our online apparel,” said Arhancet, who explained that their ‘LQD_V1’ hoodie, a streetwear item, sold out in a day. “We didn’t expect to, we thought it might run for a little bit! We did a limited drop of it, just to test it out because it was a new thing for us…but definitely saw the impact of that. Pleasantly surprised.”
Ken Serra, Team Liquid’s head of communities and engagement, was on point during the game against IG, managing the team’s Discord
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Serra goes on to explain that the strong performance in the tournament, while historic in the game’s context, won’t necessarily impact future engagement strategies with TL’s fanbase. “We understand that when you’re a fan of esports, you’re pretty limited in terms of accessibility to it,” he said. “Whether or not we’re successful or unsuccessful in something, we try and try and foster those initiatives through and through.”
In the subsequent weekends, Team Liquid achieved another finals performance at the Dota 2
“A lot of these tournaments and big wins obviously gain an incredible amount of brand equity and visibility for Team Liquid, in such a good way,” said Arhancet. “This is just another example of where we were able to do it for League of Legends, and North America.”
The TEO Podcast is available on both iTunes and Spotify.