Despite COVID-19, localized esports organizations stayed close to their hometown communities — and reaped the rewards

Under COVID-19 lockdown, localized esports organizations have been forced to adjust their offerings to maintain a strong connection to their local fans. With in-person events making a return in 2021, these organizations are better prepared than ever to take advantage of their followers’ fervent local spirit.

On Aug. 7, a crowd of Overwatch League fans piled into BrookLAN, a trendy New York gaming bar and esports venue, for the New York Excelsior’s first in-person watch party in well over a year. The NYXL’s expectations for the event were tempered: in addition to being the team’s first in-person event since before the pandemic, it was a re-stream of a match that had been contested hours earlier in Korea. But the scores of NYXL fans who showed up were as rowdy and enthusiastic as ever, making it clear that the organization had successfully retained the loyalty of its New York fans despite a lack of in-person events during the pandemic.

Andbox, the esports organization that operates the NYXL, is owned by Sterling.VC, a venture fund backed by former New York Mets owner Jeff Wilpon, and New York spirit is a core part of its DNA. “I heard that New York had a team,” said Tiffany Chang, leader of 5 Deadly Venoms, an NYXL supporters’ crew. “And of course, I have to cheer for a New York team.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andbox doubled down on its connection to New York. It hosted virtual watch parties that recreated elements of the in-person experience, including drop-ins from faraway players and team staff, and developed a virtual “T-shirt cannon” that gave participating fans opportunities to acquire NYXL merchandise by popping onto the team’s social media channels between games. 

Andbox wasn’t the only hometown esports org to pivot to digital versions of real-life experiences during the pandemic. The Pittsburgh Pirates- and Steelers-backed Pittsburgh Knights developed a custom matchmaking and queueing tool for its Discord server, giving its fans in Pittsburgh an opportunity to meet each other and forge local friendships while maintaining a healthy social distance. Eventually, the organization plans to host an “all-star game” to celebrate the best players in Pittsburgh who use its matchmaking tool. “We wanted to stay Pittsburgh-focused,” said Knights president James O’Connor. “We wanted this to be for the city.”

According to Andbox head of partnerships Kai Mathey, offering merchandise with strong New York sensibilities (such as its New-Yorker-style NYXL tote bag) was a significant way for the organization to express its connection to New York during the pandemic — a strategy reflected by the throng of jersey-wearing fans at BrookLAN. Baking local flavor into merchandise is a significant facet of the Knights’ strategy as well; the team’s merchandise is directly based on Pittsburgh’s notable buildings and landmarks, “because we believe that Pittsburgh is so foundational in who the Knights are,” said Angelica Sirabella, the team’s director of marketing and communications.