Gucci announces the launch of the Gucci Gaming Academy (????????????)

You read that right. If you’ve ever needed proof esports are all the hype right now, the masters of hype themselves Gucci are launching their very own gaming academy. Announced on Sunday during the CSGO PGL Major Championship, Gucci is partnering with esports platform FACEIT to launch ‘GGA’ – Gucci Gaming Academy. With this move esports comes ever farther into the limelight, creating a direct link between the budding cultural phenomenon and the already culturally phenomenal Gucci brand. As every brand in the universe is coming up with strategies for how to advertise themselves within the 'metaverse' (dumbass name, fuck facebook), gaming and esports offer Gucci a direct link with an online community that is full of potential.

The Academy players selected into the Academy will be supported by Gucci in a multitude of ways which even includes mental health coaching in collaboration with the WHO. Gucci will also offer their players digital training designed specifically for each player, in-game coaching, hardware, and education for things like negotiating contacts, branding, and more.

All players selected for the Academy will be coming out of the FACEIT Pro League, a league system run by Gucci’s new partners ‘FACEIT’. While calling themselves a ‘Pro League’, it should be noted that this would not be considered the ‘big leagues’ by anyone who watches CSGO regularly. Instead, the FPL is a league where the best players NOT on a pro team compete. The vast, vast majority of CSGO players will never reach the FPL, and even if they do, it is a trial by fire that they must not only endure but thrive in it to ever get the call from a professional esports organization. Pro players do, however, play in the FPL on occasion as a way of competing with the games upcoming talent, but most of them practice individually or with their teams most the time.

Gucci has already announced the first four prospects from the FPL that are being welcomed to the Gucci Gaming Academy:

- Lukasz ‘mwlky’ Pachuki (18) from Poland

- Mārtiņš ‘shadiyy’ Gūtmani (19) from Latvia

- Brajan “DGL” Lemecha (24) from Poland

- Rokas “EspianTo” Milasauskas (20) from Lithuania

In addition to these 4 initial prospects, Gucci has hired commentator James Bardolph, former CSGO pro Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund and Stephanie “missharvey” Harvey as ambassadors for the Academy. A released statement from Gucci says players will “acquire the expertise and tools that will ultimately lead them to be scouted by an esports organization and pursue a professional career”. The same press release states that the players will be in the Academy for up to 12 months, with the Academy aiming to help them get signed by a professional esports organization during or immediately after those 12 months.

Can you imagine being between 18 and 24, on the path to play video games as a career, and now you’re signed by GUCCI? Free Gucci merch almost for sure, the highest level of hardware and coaching provided for free, free education that could help you in life beyond esports…these kids are living an absolute dream. Now, it remains to be seen just how committed Gucci will really be to these kids, but Gucci has good reason to want to be seen in a good light amongst the gaming community. So many different influencers who started out as gamers or esports athletes LOVE to wear Gucci and other luxury brands. Nothing says your doing well in life like wearing $2000 dollar hoodies as a teenager. Like other influencers coming from the space of New Media, esports superstars are just as keen to be seen wearing ultra-expensive brands.

Luxury brands are already partnering with esports organizations to bring their fans fresh overpriced products, the truest fashion tradition. In 2021, Ralph Lauren signed a deal to outfit European esports organization G2 Esports, Adidas has done a sneaker collaboration with both Team Vitality and Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, Nike is the official apparel partner of Chinese League of Legends Pro League, and many more such partnerships already exist in the esports space.

Personally, I hope the Academy is massively successful. Do I think Gucci is cringe as fuck and spending that amount of money on clothes designed by people with the creative skill of a newt is stupid? Oh yeah. BUT…I am all for young gamers making millions and furthering their career in exchange for Gucci getting some positive PR with the gaming community. And at the end of the day, while I think 95% of Gucci products are as ugly as my unclipped toenails, lots of these kids love that shit. And I don’t deny that simply wearing anything Gucci will make some people think your shit smells like roses.

It remains to be seen just how many thousands of dollars Gucci will charge for the Academy’s merch.