One of my favorite things about esports is the branding and image creation that organizations work so hard to develop. Color schemes, logo design, marketing strategy— it all interests me. But perhaps the most important aspect of it comes from branding efforts is jersey design, for both the sake of players’ and fans’ drip. With that being said, here are four 2021 esports jerseys I believe are among the most well-designed in the industry and which I’d sport in a heartbeat.
1. Team SoloMid
The big design element here for me is the low contrast, silver on black geometric swirl pattern across the entire jersey. I believe that thanks to this dark camo-like design, the red accents on the collar and sleeves have more freedom to stand out. The seven stars above the primary logo symbolize the org’s seven LCS wins, and for one more nice touch, of which I’m a big fan—underneath the sleeves, running down the sides of the jersey are white bands with “TSM” repeated in bold black outline.
I find there is no excessive busyness anywhere, neither in design nor sponsorship placement. Instead, there is a complementary relationship between the overall pattern and the small touches.
TSM’s geometric camo
2. Immortals
Not as large as TSM’s pattern, but arguably just as effective; I think the subtle geometry across the shirt provides texture and allows for some solid black accents. Immortals’ jersey is also similar to TSM’s in subtlety, with just a few more team-colored accents in addition to those on the collar and sleeves.
Although the Toyota sponsorship is pretty noticeable to me, it seems to be the only sponsorship on the entire jersey. The blue/green lines above the chest and on the back of the shoulders satisfyingly remind me of a Tron: Legacy aesthetic, as do the lines stacked on the sides of the jersey.
3. Dallas Empire Away
Gold-White is one of my favorite color combos (check out the New Orleans Saints Color Rush uniforms). On this jersey, Empire’s golden crown logo is repeated within a Hilfiger-esque strip across the chest. It also features one gold band on the left sleeve, an interesting choice in asymmetry. On the front, I also appreciate the font and letter spacing of “EMPIRE” and “DALLAS” below it in gold. The backside includes nothing but a golden crown at the base of the neck and a small COD League sticker above it.
I’m a fan of the Saints, I’m a fan of Tommy Hilfiger clothing, and I’m originally from Dallas. Of course, I love this jersey.
Empire’s royal color-combo
4. Luminosity Black Out
This entry features a gradient design where black at the top blends into blue towards the bottom. Within the blue, “LGLOYAL” is repeated, and within the black, small grey triangles are repeated. There’s even one more gradient at the very top of the shirt, where grey fades into the primarily black design, and the small triangle colors are reversed.
My favorite thing about this Luminosity jersey, although I do appreciate the gradient and patterning of words in addition to shapes, is the collar. The blue tapers off into points in cooperation with the small V-neck design. Additionally, as with the other unique aspects of it, I admire the big and bold logo placement right in the center of the chest, in no small part due to my fondness of the eye logo itself.
Luminosity’s intent gaze
These are just four of many well-designed 2021 eSports jerseys across the industry. Clearly, I have a thing for invented texture and patterning, a change of pace from solid, plain colors. What about you? Which jerseys do you find the most eye-catching?
