The KongDoo Overwatch teams are known for their stylish uniforms, but this year, they’re gunning for the title of fashion icons—alongside the title of OGN Overwatch APEX champions.
A new roster image released from OGN Global revealed KongDoo Panthera’s new uniforms ahead of their match on April 28 against Lunatic-Hai. Instead of Overwatch APEX season two’s crisp dress shirts and bowties, the KongDoo boys will don sailor-inspired uniforms.
A bit more casual than last season’s attire, the sailor suits are basically t-shirts with a dramatic sailor-style collar paired with blue jeans. The KongDoo boys all seem to be wearing slip-on shoes, but it’s unclear at this time whether it’s an official part of the uniform. Should the team get tired of the sailor-style outfit, the collars also double as bonnets, as demonstrated by KongDoo Panthera support player Yang “Luffy” Seong Hyeon.
KongDoo Uncia, KongDoo Panthera’s sister team, will apparently wear a similar uniform, swapping out the white logo-splattered t-shirt for a black one.
KongDoo Panthera and KongDoo Uncia placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in last season’s tournament. Was it because the suspenders and buttoned-up dress shirts were uncomfortable? Probably not. But this season, the team is likely to feel more relaxed. Or embarrassed.
KongDoo is widely known as the best dressed organization in Overwatch esports—followed closely by RunAway and their pink sweatshirts—but their fashion prowess extends beyond just Blizzard games. KongDoo Monster, the organization’s League of Legends team, also dresses quite snazzy, taking on their opponents in their best businessman attire, down to the nameplate and slim tie.
But do their uniforms even matter? Yes. They do. “A uniform is more than something that a bunch of nerds wear on a stage—it’s an important visual signifier of what esports might stand for,” said Joshua Calixto of esports website The Meta. “It points toward team prestige, player persona, regional esports infrastructure, and it can heavily influence not just the perspective toward an individual player, but toward esports as a whole.”
What drives Overwatch esports forward is not only the game and its meta, but players, too. Creativity in uniform design is the outward expression of a team’s character. Player personas shine through these sort of touches, and that stands out in a world rife with badly designed jerseys.
KongDoo Panthera will make their Overwatch APEX season three debut when the tournament kicks off April 28. Are they the best dressed team in the tournament’s third season? It’s likely, but we’ll have to wait until then to know for sure.
