Kwangdong Freecs have officially announced its rebranding to DN Freecs following a new partnership deal with DN Group.
Image Credit: @_DNF_LoL_
DN Freecs complete rebranding
The new naming sponsorship will last three years, with the team entering the 2025 LCK season under the new branding. While sponsorship announcements are quite normal across the esports space and the League of Legends scene, fans have reacted with rather enthusiasm, especially given the acronym “DN”.
Several jokes have been made around the name, generating lots of interactions and puns from the community. Some, however, have also commented on the aesthetics of the new logo, mentioning it didn’t look that inspiring and it was mid at best. On the other hand, however, the color schemes were appreciated, especially compared to the orange colors of the previous branding.
What is DN, the group behind the new sponsorship deal of Freecs?
Founded in 1971, the DN Group (DN Automotive Corp.) is a South Korean company that engages in the manufacture and sale of automotive parts and storage batteries. The company operates through several divisions, including machine tools, automobile parts, software development, and financial industry services.
While other big South Korean companies have sponsored LCK teams over the past few years, some have raised their doubts about the value generated from the partnership in esports. “Why is a b2b machine manufacturer sponsoring an LCK team?”, a user asked. Given the high tendency of esports teams leaning more towards B2C brands, it’s quite uncommon to see a heavy B2B brand sign a long-term deal with a team. Fans will have to wait for the new season to find out how the Freecs will help DN establish their presence in the space.
The Freecs have also locked in their new roster for the upcoming season. Top and mid laners DuDu and BuLLDog have stayed on the team, with jungler Pyosik, ADC Berserker, and support Life closing out the new lineup. The LCK will restart on January 15 with the LCK Cup, the new kickoff tournament that will determine the Korean representative in the new LoL international tournament, the First Stand.
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