The Best Gifts For eSports Fans
So you’ve got an eSports fan on your holiday shopping list, but you’re baffled by the inscrutable phenomenon. (“eSports” is the misnomer for high-profile video game competitions with cash prizes, FYI.) No worries: we’ve got you covered.
eSports fans are pretty similar to fans of conventional sports, just, you know, without the sport part. They root for their favorite teams and players, love to show off their enthusiasm with licensed clothing and gear, and most of all, want to see these video game competitions live. That being the case, it’s not hard to figure out what makes a good gift for a fan.
Jerseys, Hoodies, And Other Merch
Officially-licensed clothing is always a surefire way to show fan enthusiasm, and that’s no less true for the eSports crowd. Most of the official competitions and teams will sell at least something, even if it’s only T-shirts, but jerseys are the premium option for those who’re looking for a gift that will last longer and show off specific teams.
General licensed clothing for the big eSports games—DOTA, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Rocket League, Overwatch, et cetera—can usually be found at the developer’s store, and usually on larger marketplaces like Amazon and specific stores like GameStop, too. These are items aimed at promotion of the game itself, so they won’t be quite as personal, but they make pretty good gifts if you can’t find anything else.
For organized competitions like The International or the LoL World Championship, look on the specific site for those tournaments. For gear that promotes individual pro teams or players, check the sites for said players—some games like Overwatch also promote team memorabilia on the publisher’s page.
Licensed PC And Console Accessories
eSports players usually have some high-end gear to play on. What better to give the aspiring pro game player than some of the same stuff? The selection of gaming gear for this purpose is generally limited to individual games instead of teams or players, like Razer’s selection of Overwatch-themed keyboards, mice, and headsets.