win.gg
Win.gg Dota 2 Royal Never Give Up announces sponsorship with Kappa

Royal Never Give Up announces sponsorship with Kappa

Olivia Richman
Olivia Richman Published 02/01/2020
Google Preferred Source

Royal Never Give Up’s Dota 2 team has gained a title sponsorship deal with Kappa, an Italian sportswear brand. This is likely the first non-endemic sponsorship deal for an esports team signed in 2020.

The Chinese esports organization revealed the news in a short post on social media site Weibo. In the translated paragraph, RNG explained that their Dota 2 team has been rebranded as Kappa.RNG Dota 2. This new name became effective immediately.

No other details on the partnership, including financial figures or merchandise, were revealed.

This partnership is big news for Royal Never Give Up, although it appears the organization has lost another sponsor in the process.

Royal Never Give Up recently removed Li-Ning from its list of partners. The Chinese apparel brand has been replaced with Kappa, which joins previous sponsors Laoshan Beer, Hongmo, Logitech, and China Citic Bank’s credit card service. Though it is unclear what led to the split between Li-Ning and RNG, it is likely that their previous deal ran to its conclusion.

Kappa expands esports positioning with Royal Never Give Up

Kappa is no stranger to the esports industry. The apparel company announced a partnership with Vexed Gaming in August 2019. The partnership consisted of its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team wearing Kappa apparel while competing and relaxing. The competitive and leisure wear was also made available in their official store the following month.

Kappa’s sports marketing executive Joe Pilato expressed excitement over the partnership, stating that Vexed Gaming’s goal of reaching personal excellence made him “delighted” that the organization was their first entry into the esports industry.

“Kappa is known for its stylish and iconic designs across all the sports it works with and esports is no exception,” Vexed Gaming’s chief gaming officer Mark Weller said.

Other apparel companies have ventured into the esports industry as well. This includes Cloud9’s partnership with Puma and Fortnite superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevin’s partnership with Adidas. Outerstuff also recently designed jerseys and other apparel for Misfits.

Olivia Richman Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile
Read Also
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Dota 2
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Michael Hassall The Dota 2 competition at The Esports World Cup 2026 was shaken to its core during the Survival Stage earlier in the week when Southeast Asian-backed, South American team PTime (better known as PlayTime) were removed from the event citing “integrity concerns.” While the case is still ongoing, and none of the accused confirmed to be guilty, one of the biggest questions behind the incident was just how these concerns ...
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Dota 2
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Michael Hassall Filipino organization PlayTime Esports has been removed from the Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 competition following an intervention by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and a ruling by the Esports Foundation and EWC. Following a postponement of the PTime vs. Vici Gaming Survival Stage matchup on July 14, ESIC announced that it was actively investigating two members of the South American-based PTime organization, Team Captain Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera and ...
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Hannan Mundia The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Dota 2
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Michael Hassall A titanic 24 teams are set to compete in Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup 2025 in one of the largest events of the competitive season. These two dozen organizations are set to take over the Paris Convention Center, filling it with top-tier competitive Dota 2 action. With a $2,000,000 USD prize pool, the largest on the Dota 2 calendar, there’s everything to play for in the final major ...
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Dota 2
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Wasif Ahmed Dota 2 is a complex and interesting game that requires skill, strategy and teamwork to be successful. Having said that, one of the best ways to improve your MMR is by learning certain Dota 2 combos that have proven themselves over time. It’s worth knowing that there are not that many Dota 2 combos that have survived the test of time because every new patch changes the game’s meta. Nevertheless, ...
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Dota 2
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Michael Hassall If you were an Axe player in Dota 2 earlier this week, you’d have found yourself out of luck when you tried to pick the stalwart Oglodi warrior, as the hero was straight up removed from the game on June 23. The hero was completely missing from All-Pick and his hero model was replaced with a missing poster. Axe couldn’t even be demoed or picked in a custom game for ...
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Dota 2
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...