Gaming peripheral manufacturer ATK Gear has entered into a commercial partnership with the HLTV Awards 2026, organised by HLTV.org, becoming the official peripheral partner for the annual Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) awards ceremony.
Scheduled to take place at the Sava Centre in Belgrade, Serbia, on 9 January 2027, the honours the top-performing teams, individual players, and community achievements across the 2026 competitive season.
Under the terms of the agreement, ATK Gear will serve as the presenting partner for the “Rookie of the Year” category, which includes designing and creating a bespoke peripheral-themed physical trophy to accompany the official award. The commercial activation framework also incorporates digital branding, on-site product displays at the Sava Centre, video advertisement integrations, and individualised product gifts for the more than 1,000 players, talent, and industry executives expected in attendance.
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Commenting on the agreement, Maria Stage, Director of Sales for the HLTV Awards, stated that ATK brings “fresh energy to the table” and shared ambition to level up the on-site attendee experience. Johannes Preis, Global Esports Lead at ATK Gear, added that presenting the “Rookie of the Year” trophy underlines the brand’s long-term commitment to supporting emerging CS2 talent while establishing a stronger commercial foothold ahead of its 2027 expansion plans.
“For ATK Gear, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to strengthen our brand presence, connect with the community, and build anticipation for our plans in the years ahead. We’re committed to elevating the experience for all attendees while showcasing our products on-site and giving the community a closer look at what ATK Gear has to offer,” stated Preis.
The HLTV Awards partnership represents the latest step in ATK’s broader expansion across tier-one CS2 infrastructure. Having initially established its esports presence in VALORANT through multi-regional team deals with BBL Esports and LEVIATÁN, ATK recently entered CS2 through tournament operator StarLadder for StarSeries Season 20, as well as a team activation with Ukrainian organisation B8 Esports for IEM Beijing 2026.
The agreement adds to a growing sponsor roster for the 2026 ceremony, which is headline-presented by betting operator 1xBet. ATK joins a commercial sponsor lineup that includes data and integrity infrastructure provider Runestone under a two-year deal, alongside skin marketplace Skin.Club as the presenting partner for “Skin of the Year”.
