Yesterday, June 1st, Nike and global video game maker EA SPORTS announced a partnership that will see Nike’s Web3 division making virtual products for upcoming games.
The partnership links .SWOOSH, Nike’s new Web3 community, with EA SPORTS’ global fanbase and gaming ecosystem. The two companies will focus on virtual experiences and digital customizations.
Although the press release avoided the term “NFTs,” future games will give players access to select digital creations from .SWOOSH, allowing them to show off virtual wearables in-game. These creations may include digital apparel, sneakers, accessories, and other collectibles. They can be worn in games or redeemed for access to exclusive events, products, or merchandise.
Ron Faris, the Vice President of Nike Virtual Studios, said that “Nike and EA sports” are committed to “innovation, creativity, and excellence.” He added that the partnership will enable some amazing experiences for the “.Swoosh community and the massive EA sports fan base.”
In November 2023, Nike announced the .SWOOSH platform, built on the popular Ethereum layer 2 scaling blockchain Polygon. Last month, .SWOOSH released its first NFT collection ‘Our Force 1,’ selling over 92,000 NFTs. It is currently in closed beta mode, but users can register to become a member at welcome.swoosh.nike.
EA SPORTS is a division of Electronic Arts game publisher, and home to popular sports games like Madden NFL, as well as NHL, NFL, and NASCAR brands. Although Nike and EA SPORTS are longtime collaborators, this is the first partnership that incorporates Web3 technologies like NFTs and digital wearables. Nike said more information about the collaboration will be shared shortly.
Nike Continues to Dominate Fashion Brands in Web3
The partnership between Nike and EA SPORTS is a huge deal for Web3, considering it could incorporate NFTs into games from one of the biggest sports gaming studios in the world. But the fact it’s coming from Nike should come as little surprise. Nike has been relentless in Web3 for over a year now.
Let’s look at some of the top headlines from Nike in Web3:
- LeBron James Photographed Wearing Nike NFT Sneakers
- Nike Airdrops 106,454 Digital Posters to .SWOOSH Members
- Nike & Division Street Drop Exclusive AR Helmet NFTs
- Nike’s Swoosh Hosts Virtual Sneaker Design Contest
- Nike Dives Further into Web3 with New “Style” Store
In August 2022, we reported that Nike was leading all active fashion brands in Web3, generating a staggering $185 million in revenue from NFT sales. One big push for its strategy came when it acquired Web3 platform RTFKT in December 2021.
Time will tell if Nike continues to be the leader for sports apparel brands in Web3. But its latest move to partner with EA SPORTS looks like another win for the brand. At Rarity Sniper, we’ll be on the lookout for any developments in the story.