Fnatic releases Hello Kitty merchandise in partnership

Ethan Chen

Published: Nov 17, 2019 03:41 am

This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information

United Kingdom-based esports organization Fnatic has partnered with Sanrio brand Hello Kitty for a limited-edition apparel collection. The merchandise is now available for purchase, and the organization has promised future drops during the rest of 2019. This partnership coincides with the launch of the esports organization’s expansion to Japan, where Hello Kitty is a household name.

Fnatic partners with Hello Kitty

“Hello Kitty is a globally recognized icon and we are excited to work with Sanrio to introduce her to esports and our fans around the world as we continue to seek out, amplify and level-up every gamer on the planet,” said Sam Mathews, CEO of Fnatic.

This wave of apparel comes with hoodies, joggers, jerseys, shirts, hats, mousepads, and stickers. Each item is branded with the two companies’ logos, along with the iconic Kitty graphic. Fnatic’s 2019 glitch pattern is also used as the background on some items. However, some fans have complained about the graphic hoodie being sold for €119.00 or $131.50 USD, with other pieces of merchandise at a similar price point.

Fnatic partner with Hello Kitty

“As a leading lifestyle brand and one of the pioneers of esports, Fnatic is a great partner for our flagship character as we look into expanding our consumer touchpoints in the gaming space,” said Craig Takiguchi, COO and Head of Business Development at Sanrio. “This fun, yet unexpected collection merges Hello Kitty’s iconic image with Fnatic’s gaming designs for the perfect lifestyle crossover. We look forward to launching this program with Fnatic and debut Hello Kitty to a new audience.”

This partnership joins others Fnatic has forged like with Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, custom PC builder Chillblast, data analytics and market research firm Newzoo, and esports tournament coverage mobile application Strafe. Fnatic is also partnered with computer processor company AMD and gaming entertainment brand Letou.

Check out the Fnatic Hello Kitty store.