Team Liquid is best known for its participation in high profile tournaments for competitive games like CS:GO, League of Legends, and DOTA2; but the brand has been branching out in recent years to other parts of the gaming and general geek culture atmosphere. The Team Liquid Apparel line has released gaming adjacent clothing lines with Marvel and tokidoki partnerships in the past and now the latest line is crossing over with the world of anime.
The latest Liquid Apparel line releases on February 12 and is Naruto Shippuden-themed. The anime line features a handful of different styles include some iconic and new old characters from the classic anime and manga. The Naruto fandom are no strangers to the world of video games, so the crossover seems like a pretty natural fit for Team Liquid.
The limited line has a handful of pretty interesting pieces including a Leaf Village Denim Jacket, Jonin-inspired Leaf Village Parka, Naruto vs Sasuke Cargo Joggers, Rogue Ninja Hat, stylized hoodies, and long sleeve shirts and short sleeve tees. The line is also apparently celebrating that 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of both Team Liquid and the Naruto franchise. According to Alexander Lee, Sr. Licensing Manager at VIZ Media, "With both brands celebrating our respective 20th anniversaries, this is the perfect time to team up. Anime and esports fashion is constantly evolving and we are ecstatic to be an integral part of this unique collaboration."
International Naruto fans may be disappointed to learn that the line is only planned for a United States release at this point. It's possible that there will be another run for other regions eventually, but Team Liquid isn't committing to that at this time. In the short term, there are apparently some licensing issues holding the company back from distributing this particular line outside of the U.S. For now, Team Liquid seems to just be happy to distribute the new line where it can: “Team Liquid's goal is to continue excelling in the world of apparel and innovative co-branded programs. We know gaming constantly crosses paths with other industries and cultures—especially anime. Like our fans, we love anime, and Naruto is one of the most successful anime franchises of all time. We couldn't be more excited to announce this strategic partnership to our fans.”
As the Liquid Apparel brand continues to grow, it will be very interesting to see what other partnerships pop up and who else the team collaborates with. The Marvel partnership was definitely very popular, so it will also be interesting to see if the brand heads back in that direction with some new designs. In the realm of gaming and anime, it would also be very cool to see a line for Dragon Ball Z or some of the other mega popular anime series that have crossed over into the world of gaming in recent years.
The Liquid Apparel Naruto Shippuden line launches exclusively in the US on February 12, 2021.
Source: Team Liquid