Ranking the Best LCS Team Apparel by Category

Every sports fan has his favorite piece of apparel to wear on game day, some more iconic than others. With esports in relative infancy, the same level of commitment to logos, colors and other visual traditions has not manifested to the same degree. League of Legends professional North American League, the LCS, franchised in 2018, allowing most teams to build brands and fanbases consistently over the past four years. Some organizations are ahead of others when it comes to apparel and other merchandise. Here are the best LCS team apparel options currently offered by each team.

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Jerseys

Jerseys are the obvious place to start with this LCS team apparel list, as esports have carried over the sports tradition of uniform shirt and shirt-adjacent items for game day. They typically have the players’ names along the back to help identify them. In traditional sports, there’s generally a uniformity to jersey style across teams, but the LCS has allowed teams to wear all manner of jerseys.

1st – 100T – 2022 PRIMARY JERSEY

Known throughout the esports community as “the hoodie org,” 100 Thieves has some of the highest demand merchandise in the scene. Luckily, they have put the same effort into their official jersey for 2022. The long-sleeve rugby-style shirt features a white collar and two thick, red, horizontal stripes bordering the logo centered in the body. A white 100T logo sits on the left chest with a single star hovering above, representing 100 Thieves’ LCS title in Summer 2021. It’s no surprise this is the most expensive jersey on the list ($90), and is currently sold out in most sizes.

2nd – FLY – Spring 2022 Playoff Jersey

While FlyQuest do not carry a wide selection of merchandise, their playoffs jersey for LCS Spring Playoffs is undeniably interesting. The dark gray background with geometric detailing is fairly standard, but the centered logo surrounded by pink flowers and an origami swan are much more inspired. The soft, floral aesthetic compliments FLY’s brand as an environmentally conscious organization and add a palette and style that is distinct.

3rd – C9 – PUMA x Cloud9 2022 Jersey White

Cloud9’s partnership with Puma provides them with endless apparel possibilities. Utilizing Puma’s pre-existing style and brand, C9 can add their signature light blue and white colors to just about anything in the catalog and pass it as merch. While this approach may not always result in the most inspiring apparel, C9’s jerseys this year, particularly the white version, look great. Viewing the front at a distance, it appears to be a pretty basic short-sleeve dry-fit kit with sponsor logos visible on the top half and sleeves. But the detailing within the white becomes visible up close, which elevates it over similar-style LCS jerseys.

Honorable Mentions: CLG – Official CLG 2021 Pride Jersey, IMT – Immortals: Pro Jersey [White]

CLG’s Pride jersey stands out from the crowd, with its rainbowfied logo and sleeve stripes. Of course, the partnership with You Can Play to work towards LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports and esports add a layer of meaning and value to the jersey.

Immortals normally sport a fairly boring jersey, but the most recent design features a colorful depiction of the Northern Lights on the front and back.

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T-Shirts

T-shirts are the most ubiquitous article of clothing offered in many different venues, not just esports. Therefore, even teams that offer very little merch for sale have at least one t-shirt to buy. Every LCS organization have the standard solid tees with their name and/or logo in a few colors. However, some have t-shirts that rise above the crowd and thus have made is on thie LCS team apparel list.

1st – TL – LIQUID X MARVEL SPIDER-MAN ARTWORK LONG SLEEVE TEE

Team Liquid’s entire LIQUID X MARVEL collection is truly special, but the t-shirts are especially a cut above the rest of what the LCS has to offer. This specific long-sleeve tee features Spiderman in front of a stylized black and red background outlining Team Liquid’s signature horse logo. It’s a very unique crossover that could even appeal to a broader audience.

2nd – TSM – TSM TIGER TEE SMOKE

Along similar lines, this TSM tee stands out with a cool design that transcends the LCS and esports. Each shirt has unique black dye patterns across a white background, with an Asian stylized tiger roaring across the back. If tigers aren’t exciting enough, TSM offers a sister tee with a dragon and the same design.

3rd – EG – W X EG ANNOUNCE SMILE SHIRT

Evil Geniuses’ simple design on this partnership tee stands out against other similar shirts. English Premier League Team Wolverhampton Wanderers partnered with EG last year. This Smile Shirt was meant to represent the announcement, featuring the eye triangles of the Wolves logo and EG’s slogan “Live Evil” designed as a toothy smile.

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Non-T-Shirts

Branching out from t-shirts is an essential and easy way to stand out in the LCS apparel market. These pieces are much more unique than the run-of-the-mill options widely available.

1st – 100T – PAR SHORT SLEEVE POLO – BLACK/WHITE

Another sold-out item in the 100 Thieves lookbook. 100T branched out and actually released a Country Club collection this year. The release made good on speculation from two years ago that the organization could pull off a golf-inspired line. Like many items on this list, the simplicity of the black polo with a wide white square across the bottom two-thirds is what makes this shirt so appealing.

2nd – TL – LIQUID VARSITY LONG SLEEVE RUGBY – NAVY

Team Liquid’s navy rugby is similar to 100 Thieves’ first place 2022 jersey. It’s solid navy with a white color, a basic white and blue crest with gold outlining, and “LIQUID” written down the sleeve in large gold lettering. The elevated prep style is something more teams should get behind. Not all gamers want to wear t-shirts and dry-fit kits.

3rd – TL – TOKIDOKI X LIQUID WOMENS CROPPED ATHLETIC TANK TOP – MULTI

Their second entry in this category, Team Liquid has such a wide variety of options they are bound to have something for everyone. This women’s crop top is fun and vibrant, with cute tokidoki character designs patched across it in TL’s navy and white. Someone loved the pattern enough to create a matching hat, bike shorts and mousepad, as well as splash the pattern across hoodies, cargo pants and other items.

Honorable Mention: CLG – Hello World Pink Sunrise Tank

It’s surprising how few LCS stores offer a tank top, let alone one that stretches beyond basics. CLG actually have a light pink tank with a pastel pink-purple-green gradient logo. It’s a fun summer buy.

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Hoodies/Sweatshirts

Hoodies are fairly common across LCS organizations, non-hooded sweatshirts, not so much. Regardless, these items typically price out the casual LoL fans, as they run anywhere from 50 dollars to over 100. Some teams put in more effort and creativity to justify their higher prices, and those teams usually offer the higher quality products. Here is which ones made the LCS team apparel list.

1st – TL – LIQUID HERITAGE HOODIE – VERTICAL DIP DYE

Various dying patterns have emerged in the past couple of years across clothing markets. Liquid’s vertical dip dye hoodie stands out with the right half roughly dyed navy and the left side remaining white with the horse logo. Both sleeves have “LIQUID” written down them with inverse colors–white lettering on the navy sleeve, navy lettering on the white sleeve.

2nd – 100T – FOUNDATIONS GEOPRINT CREWNECK- BLACK/RED

100 Thieves Foundations line is full of classic apparel that has become just as iconic as the esports organization itself. The geoprint sweatshirt is one such piece. It is black with red camouflage-adjacent outlining throughout, reminiscent of certain Call of Duty weapon camo. The pattern has stretched across to many other colorways and apparel items, including button-ups, windbreakers and fleece pants.

3rd – TL – LIQUID X NARUTO NARUTO UNIVERSE DYE HOODIE

Liquid rounds out the top three with another creative use of tie-dye. Like the Marvel partnership, TL’s Naruto crossover produced some fantastic apparel, including this orange, blue and white spiral-patterned hoodie. The back features a full cast of Naruto characters and Japanese print.

Honorable Mention: TL – LIQUID PATCHWORK HOODIE

Team Liquid just has such a wide selection of hoodies, and this is another inspired option. It’s a simpler design than the others on this list, but the large grey, navy and white squares alternating throughout the hoodie is a unique visual. “TEAM LIQUID” is printed across the chest, and the horse logo sits on the top of the hood.

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Hats

Like t-shirts, hats are a fairly standard article of clothing among esports apparel. However, finding one with more than just a team’s standard logo and colors is uncommon. Only two stand out enough to feature on this LCS team apparel list.

1st – C9 – PUMA x Cloud9 Camper Hat Black Blue

This hat is way cooler than anything else other teams are offering. The camper hat shape combined with the white, black and light blue paneling pattern give it a smooth look. At 25 dollars, this hat is also a solid price for the quality. Puma and Cloud9 really delivered on this one.

2nd – 100T – FOUNDATIONS UNSTRUCTURED NYLON SNAPBACK HAT – BONE

Ranking this hat second is going to seem hypocritical based on the explanation above. This is a solid dad hat with 100 Thieves’ logo written on it–pretty basic. But the decision to use bone (an off-white) as a primary colorway sets 100T apart from other LCS organizations. They are willing to offer fashionable options that blend seamlessly with outfits outside of esports. This is a clean hat.

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Pants/Shorts

Not many organizations offer shorts, but pants have caught on over the years. Unsurprisingly, most organizations offer some sort of sweatpants or joggers to match their hoodies and/or jerseys. Bottoms could definitely use some exploring in the future to develop more creative and non-athletic options.

1st – C9 – PUMA x Cloud9 2022 Pro Pant Dark Blue

Pieces like this really show where the Cloud9-Puma partnership shines. Using Puma’s pre-existing merchandise, adding C9 colors and writing “CLOUD9” along the outside of one leg is all it takes to make a stand-out pant in the esports space. LCS teams take note. Basic black joggers with a logo are not going to cut it against apparel like this.

2nd – TL – TOKIDOKI X LIQUID WOMEN’s ATHLETIC PATTERN BIKE SHORTS – MULTI

As mentioned above, this fun tokidoki pattern has brought a fun line to women esports fans. Bike shorts are definitely not available from many, if any, other LCS teams. Hopefully, Team Liquid will continue to cater to this audience that might want something more fun and exciting than the basics.

3rd – 100T – FOUNDATIONS GEOPRINT FLEECE SHORT- BLACK/RED

This pattern is best on the sweatshirt, but the shorts are a great option in the space, too. Like the sweatshirt, there are multiple colorways and matching items across other clothing types, but the black and red do best for 100 Thieves.

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Shoes

Shoes are virtually non-existent in LCS merch stores and thus the LCS team apparel list is a bit lacking. It requires a lot more investment, design and creativity to create a shoe. However, shoes can draw more revenue when successful. Hopefully, more organizations will give it a shot in the future.

1st – C9 – PUMA x Cloud9 RS-Z Black

Cloud9 wins this section by a long shot. There really is no competition. Again, they took a pre-existing Puma product, added C9 colors and put them on the players. The LCS team uniform highlights the Puma partnership perfectly, and the shoes really elevate the look. A non-esports fan could easily wear these shoes and enjoy them.

2nd – TL – BLUE SLIPPERS

The only other “shoe” on the market, Team Liquid’s slippers feature their mascot “Blue.” It’s a pretty basic product with a 20 dollar price tag. The soft plushie-style design of Blue is perfect for these white fleece slippers.

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Socks

Socks are slightly more common than shoes, but most options are uninspired. Like t-shirts, it is very easy to slap a logo on tall, white socks and put them in the store. Two teams offer socks with substance to be on this LCS team apparel list.

1st – 100T – FOUNDATIONS GEOPRINT SOCKS – BLACK/RED

100 Thieves are winning again with the same geoprint pattern, this time on socks. They look so much cooler than anything else offered at the moment. The black socks with red print fit best with 100T’s logo, but, again, they offer other colorways.

2nd – TL – LIQUID X STANCE HERITAGE SOCK

Team Liquid’s Stance Heritage socks stand out due to their large white “LIQUID” print spread across both feet. They also have a large TL logo outlined on the back of the socks, and thin white and grey stripes along the top.

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Jackets/Outerwear

Finding outerwear beyond a hoodie or sweatshirt usually amounts to finding a windbreaker. Over the years, different teams have experimented with heavier outerwear-type apparel. Those items tend to price above 100 dollars, which limits how many will sell. It can be risky. However, if done right, an organization could make a lot more revenue. More LCS teams should take the risk and develop something worthwhile for fans to invest in beyond hoodies and windbreakers.

1st – TSM – TSM PRO VARSITY JACKET

TSM are the only one offering an outerwear piece worth purchasing and wearing. This varsity jacket taps into the jock mentality of high school–feeling cool and athletic and projecting that out to passersby. The black and white coloration grants the jacket a level of intensity that other branding might not have. It also ensures the piece matches just about anything, so wearing it away from esports arenas won’t be a problem.

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Bags

Bags present an interesting opportunity for organizations to get creative. All a bag technically needs to do is hold things. Bags come in many shapes, sizes and styles. Colors and branding might not be as obvious on a bag as on other apparel. Here are some solid bags to pick from.

1st – TL – LIQUID X PRIVATE LABEL – WEEKENDER DUFFEL

With a 140-dollar price tag, this bag better be special. It is. No one else is offering anything of this quality. Private Label brands itself as “The Official Bags for Sneakers, Sports & Travel,” which seems to fit pretty well collaborating with Team Liquid. The duffel is large, shiny and sleek. It is pretty fly for an esports bag.

2nd – C9 – PUMA x Cloud9 Backpack Blue

The Puma-Cloud9 collaboration strikes again with a solid backpack. They developed a few backpacks to pick from, but this blue one looks a little more subtle than the other, more oversized, athletic options. The royal blue looks better than if they tried to splash C9’s signature light blue over the shell. Simple Puma and C9 branding is visible. It also features a laptop pocket with an elastic enclosure.

3rd – FLY – #GoGreen Tote Bag

Who couldn’t use another reusable bag for groceries? This organic cotton bag features a cute scene of FlyQuest’s mascots, representing different past initiatives–TreeQuest, SeaQuest, BeeQuest, etc. They released the tote as part of the Earth Day collection. Everything about this bag lines up with FLY’s mission statement.

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Accessories

It’s weird that most LCS teams don’t offer much in the way of accessories. Most stores offer hats, possibly socks, then maybe a wristband or other basic accessories. This area of apparel can definitely be fleshed out more in the future.

1st – CLG – CLG Goodr – Stare Into The VoiD Sunglasses

Counter Logic Gaming has a whole line of glasses and sunglasses offered in partnership with Goodr, and these are the best. The standard black frames feature CLG’s logo on the corner, before fading to a light blue temple tip. The blue reflective lenses really pop in the light. More LCS teams should try branching into the glasses and sunglasses market. This pair is only 25 dollars, making it an easy sell.

2nd – CLG – CLG Winter Scarf

CLG doubles up on this part of the LCS team apparel list, with a winter scarf of all things. Just like most LCS apparel skews athletic and casual, it also skews warm-weather and lightweight. This scarf has “COUNTER LOGIC GAMING” written in large, black block letters across a light blue background. The ends are frayed. It is reminiscent of the scarves worn to a hockey match–simple, yet unique for the esports scene.

Conclusion

As apparent by these LCS team apparel rankings, 100 Thieves, Cloud9 and Team Liquid offer the best apparel options overall. While 100T are more selective with small batches that don’t last as long, C9 and TL produce large quantities and wide arrays of options for all fans. Other teams, such as FlyQuest, TSM and CLG have some standout options that stand out from the pack.  Evil Geniuses, Dignitas, Golden Guardians and Immortals offer little in the way of apparel, and what they do offer is generally bare bones.

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