Soylent, the beverage that’s been around for about two years and is pitched as a meal-replacement rich in nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, and more, wants to make its mark in the world of competitive gaming, or e-sports, and its starting this weekend by being the official sponsor of ESL One.
Soylent signed the sponsorship deal with the Electronic Sports League (ESL), which reportedly cost the beverage company between $100,000 and $300,000, in September. That means that ESL One, a large tournament for competitive Dota 2 players being held in New York this weekend, will have advertisements for Soylent on its broadcasts of the tournament, as well as have the Soylent logo visible throughout the event itself. Additionally, Soylent is sponsoring an upcoming season of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Beyond this weekend’s ESL One tournament, Soylent is considering sponsoring an e-sports team. After it completes an expansion of its office, Soylent hopes to invite professional players for them to train in a dedicated gaming room. Soylent also wants to build a film studio, so it can make advertisements for its product and its sponsorships of e-sports events and teams.
The deciding factor is whether or not Soylent will be a hit among fans of e-sports, let alone the teams it hopes to sponsor. The company’s hope is that the e-sports audience will see Soylent as a healthy alternative to other just-as-convenient food options.
“You wouldn’t treat your laptop — like, you wouldn’t leave a slice of pizza on it. And you wouldn’t treat your body in the same way,” Soylent creative director Julio Miles told BuzzFeed News. “[Soylent] definitely will power you a lot more efficiently than eating half a Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready pizza before you go play.”
“You go to these events, you’ll see Dr. Pepper, you’ll see Mountain Dew. You just don’t see anything healthy, really,” Soylent community manager Conor Parker said. “So this is a nice option for gamers. I feel like it’ll be good for them to really change their diets around.”
While Soylent is far from being considered a drug, the ESL recently announced plans to regulate and screen for drug use in those competing in its tournaments. This announcement came after one Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player admitted to using the stimulant drug Adderall during a tournament.
Source: BuzzFeed News
