CGN Esports and HanseMerkur have announced a partnership naming the insurance group the main partner of the organisation’s VALORANT team.

The collaboration will focus on digital and on-site community activations, leveraging CGN’s facilities at the CGN Campus and its presence at XPERION Cologne. A primary milestone of the deal is scheduled for the VCD Grand Finals on 28 February and 1 March 2026. CGN Esports has qualified for the final and will officially unveil their new team jersey featuring HanseMerkur branding during the event.

The agreement expands HanseMerkur’s footprint in the tactical shooter’s ecosystem, where it already serves as the naming rights sponsor for the HanseMerkur VALORANT Challengers DACH (VCD) league.

Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) will return in 2026 with a bigger and bolder edition, taking place across 18–21 June in Cologne, Germany, alongside IEM Cologne. The schedule and details about ticket sales are available in this link.

Regarding the impact of the partnership on the regional scene, David Dick, COO & Co-Owner of CGN Esports, stated: “HanseMerkur is one of the most visible and consistent partners in VALORANT esports. This partnership sends a strong signal for our organisation, for the league, and for the entire scene. In particular, the planned community and offline activations create real added value for our fans.”

Eric Bussert, Member of the Executive Board of HanseMerkur, added: “With this partnership, we are sending a clear signal of our long-term commitment to VALORANT esports and the sustainable development of the scene – especially in times of change. Together with CGN Esports, we aim not only to celebrate competitive success but also to actively engage the community and further strengthen the connection between fans, teams, and partners.”

The addition of HanseMerkur to the front of the team’s jersey follows a rapid period of commercial growth for CGN Esports. Just last month, the organisation formalised a long-term hardware sponsorship with ZOWIE, naming the BenQ brand its official monitor partner.

This hardware integration is already a fixture at the MediaMarktSaturn XPERION in Cologne, where fans are allowed to play on the same professional-grade setups used by the roster in official competition.

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