Olivia Richman is a seasoned esports journalist who has worked with Inven Global, Esports Illustrated, Esports.gg, and more. As an editor and writer at Esports Insider, she loves telling unique esports stories, especially within the FGC. When not working and gaming, Olivia loves collecting Kirby plush, eating sushi, and driving her cars at the track.
Image Credit: Blue Rising Let’s be honest with ourselves for a second: the era of esports organizations begging mainstream corporate giants for a lifeline is getting a little tired.
For years, the industry playbook was simple: throw money at non-endemic brands, slap a Mastercard, Coinbase, or Mercedes-Benz logo on a jersey, and pray that a casual crypto customer suddenly decides to buy a $90 team hoodie or watch a match at an upcoming tournament. Or, vice versa, events like Evo promoted Chipotle everywhere (even providing a bus to a local Chipotle) since it took no time to create meaningful ways to make money aside from begging for mainstream sponsors. Who can forget the cringe Chipotle bundle in 2XKO ?
This stuff just feels hammered in, desperate, and – esports fans’ worst fear – inauthentic.
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We’ve watched teams churn through bizarre pitch decks trying to persuade middle management at insurance conglomerates that teenagers watching VALORANT streams are desperate to buy auto policies or sign up for the U.S. Army .
Meanwhile, as major sponsors pivot their budgets away from individual team deals and toward centralized mega-tournaments, esports organizations are facing a quiet reality check: you cannot build a sustainable business model by pleasing people who don’t actually care about gaming.
Instead of chasing another lukewarm corporate partnership, the French powerhouse just did something radical: they built a full-fledged, physical trading card game called Blue Rising. And in doing so, KC just handed the rest of the industry a masterclass in how to monetize a fanbase without selling your soul.
If you’ve been around esports for a while, your first thought might be, “Wait, haven’t teams tried cards before?”
You’d be right! Years ago, Team Liquid handed out collectible trading cards to fans at LCS events. It was a neat, fun bit of fan service — a cool keepsake to tuck into your wallet after grabbing a photo with your favorite mid-laner. I personally loved it, especially with their mascot, Blue, handing out the cards.
Image Credit: Nick Geracie / Inven Global But Blue Rising isn’t a giveaway novelty or a cheap promotional gimmick. It’s a real and functional tactical collectible card game built from the ground up.
The genius part is that it’s not just a fully functioning card game. It takes players, moments, and gaming gear right from esports culture and makes it engaging and real. It allows fans to really connect with the card game and feel they have deep ball knowledge. It’s made for KC fans and other esports fans who can relate to the cards.
Imagine pulling a card that lets you clutch a losing round because it’s flavored after a famous French arena crowd chant or a historic comeback at an EMEA tournament. This is using thought, intention, and true passion to create authentic content and merch for act…