SUBNATION & Xplayn Launch Gooseman20 Merchandise Collection With ESL Shop At The 2020 Intel® Extreme Masters Katowice CS:GO

World-Renowned DC Artist Bernard Chang Designs Artwork For Exclusive, Limited Edition Products That Celebrate 20 Years of CS and Creator Minh ‘Gooseman’ Le

Los Angeles, CA (February 25, 2020) - Subnation, a media and live experience platform celebrating the culture of gaming and lifestyle of esports, today announced a partnership with Xplayn and ESL Shop to drop a limited-edition apparel line that will pay homage to Counter-Strike™ creator and gaming visionary Minh ‘Gooseman’ Le. The exclusive Gooseman 20 Collection will be available at the IEM Masters Championship starting February 28, 2020.  All on-site ESL Shops will carry the items in limited quantities.

“Esports has a rich history of recognizing its innovators and visionaries, said Seven Volpone, Co-Founder of Subnation. “So we launched this Collection to honor and celebrate the person who created a Half-Life™ mod that revolutionized competitive gaming as we know it. Gooseman is one reason why the stage and stands are filled to capacity at Katowice and other IEM and ESL global events.”

Drop 1 of the Collection includes two (2) t-shirts, a sweatshirt, hat, and mousepad, and was designed by world-renowned DC artist creator Bernard Chang (credits include Batman Beyond, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman).  “We are honored to pay homage and bring to the spotlight the pioneers and founders of what we all enjoy doing today.” said Chang when asked about the collaboration.

"A product range that celebrates 20 years of esports history and the creator of Counter-Strike: A perfect match for us. We're honored to have the products launch exclusively at IEM Katowice with a special showcase on our 120m² walk-in store in the MCK expo hall, and further availability in our two other retail positions at the event. We're excited to hear what fans think" says David Hiltscher, Vice President Shop, Merchandise, Licensing in Shop & Merchandising at ESL.

Additionally, founder of Xplayn and esports pioneer Kim Rom is developing “The Gooseman Story”, a content series in partnership with Subnation which gives younger (and older) gamers insight into how the CS mod creator has helped shape the industry. This combination of content and commerce, will not only bring the history of esports to the forefront, but enable the community to celebrate their gaming roots through fashion and art.

“As of June 19, 1999 gaming was no longer just for nerds who could suspend their disbelief in 800x600. A free competitive team-based shooter with realistic-feeling weapons based on ‘notable but controllable’ recoil, became the killer app for online gaming.” said Kim Rom, CEO of Xplayn. “As a content creator, I’ve wanted to tell Gooseman’s incredible story and cultural impact for a long time. I hope I do his genius justice.”

About Subnation

Subnation is a media and event platform celebrating the culture of gaming and lifestyle of esports. The company produces original programming and live experiences where creators, gamers and consumers come together to hear, see, shop, discover, and experience their shared passions. Subnation provides consulting through its Esports Advisory Services Team (EAST), helping brands, government agencies, tourist bureaus, sports authorities, and real estate developers, create broad-spectrum esports strategies. Since its launch in 2018, Subnation has served as the Official Cultural Experience Partner of E3 and DreamHack Atlanta, is Westwood One’s Official Partner for esports and gaming podcasts, and has advised brands and multiple local, state and national groups on developing and executing esports and gaming initiatives.

About ESL

ESL is the world’s largest esports company. Founded in 2000, ESL has been shaping the industry across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline esports competitions. The company operates high profile, branded international leagues and tournaments under the ESL Pro Tour including ESL One, Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League, and other premier stadium-size tournaments, to more clearly define the path from zero to hero. ESL also produces the ESL National Championships, grassroots amateur cups, and matchmaking systems, creating a world where everybody can be somebody. With offices all over the world, ESL is leading esports innovation on a global scale through the combination of global ESL competitions, amateur leagues, publisher activations, and more. ESL is a part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group. about.eslgaming.com

About Xplayn

Xplayn creates tools and content for the esports community. The company was started by esports veterans who once built Xplayn, GotFrag, SteelSeries, Major League Gaming, [dinmor] and other tier1 esports brands. The Xplayn platform is currently pre-launch and is scheduled to go live in the spring of 2020. Play Hard, Make History.