The Unveiling of LPL’s S15 World Championship Jacket: Controversy Over Its Price Tag Higher Than Tickets
As IG defeated JDG with a 3-1 score, the four LPL representative teams for the S15 World Championship were finally confirmed: BLG, AL, TES, and IG, which is making a comeback to the global stage. Along with the release of the team list, the LPL official held a grand send-off ceremony as usual. Players from the four teams, dressed in the unified “send-off jackets”, made their appearance amid flashing lights and applause, symbolizing the glory and hope of the region. However, this moment that should have been full of passion was overshadowed by a huge controversy triggered by the price of the “send-off jacket”.
This send-off jacket was simultaneously launched on the official store, priced as high as 1,999 yuan. As soon as the news broke, it immediately sparked a frenzy of discussions on social platforms. Many netizens exclaimed, “It’s even more expensive than the S15 tickets”, and some even joked, “Buying one jacket is not as good as flying to the venue to watch a game in person”. Voices of boycotting spread rapidly—what was originally a piece of merchandise symbolizing support and honor has turned into a so-called “money-grabbing tool” among some fans.
In fact, esports merchandise has long become a crucial part of event operations in recent years. Whether it is team merchandise, co-branded products, or limited-edition items, they can all meet fans’ desire for collection to a certain extent. However, the problem lies in the fact that the 1,999-yuan price tag has obviously exceeded the public’s psychological expectation. Even when taking into account factors such as material quality, design, and “limited-edition significance”, this jacket is still considered overpriced. After all, the core audience of esports is mainly young people, whose consumption power is not strong. Setting the price of a jacket close to 2,000 yuan seems rather “out of touch with the general public”.
More importantly, this pricing method is inconsistent with the spirit of esports. Esports originally carries young people’s yearning for hard work, passion, and dreams. However, excessive commercialization may easily make people feel that “sentiment is being exploited”. Supporting teams and events is originally driven by love and recognition, but when this support is tied to high-priced products, fans will inevitably develop a rebellious mentality.
From a marketing perspective, the official may hope to create a “sense of scarcity” through the high-price strategy, turning the send-off jacket into a collectible symbolizing honor rather than a daily consumer good. The problem, though, is that when this “symbol” is regarded as a mere money-making move, it loses its original meaning. On the contrary, affordable merchandise with solid quality is more likely to win public praise and form a positive cycle.
This incident also serves as a reminder once again: Esports needs commercialization, but there must be a limit to it. Fans are not refusing to pay for their passion; instead, they hope that their support will be respected. If merchandise is turned into a “threshold” that forces fans to choose between their love and their wallets, what will eventually be lost may be the foundation on which the event survives.
The four LPL teams have already embarked on their journey to the S15 World Championship. What truly makes fans proud is never a jacket with an artificially inflated price, but the figures of players striving hard on the field. Glory does not lie in the price of a jacket, but in the weight of victory. What are your thoughts to rant about this?
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