Fanatics and publisher Blizzard Entertainment announced an expanded agreement that will see Fanatics operate new mobile-friendly e-commerce platforms that will house Blizzard’s Gear Stores for gamers across the globe.
The deal, which builds on Fanatics’ long-term arrangement with Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League, will provide fans with the widest assortment of Blizzard merchandise currently available from top manufacturers worldwide, featuring products from franchises including Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, StarCraft and Heroes of the Storm. Fanatics’ industry-leading technology and mobile capabilities, powered by the company’s new Cloud Commerce Platform, will provide seamless navigation for fans shopping across the sites, including larger product displays and frictionless checkout.
“The expansion of our collaboration with Fanatics plays a big role in our commitment to deliver the best e-commerce experience possible for fans,” Matthew Beecher, vice president of Blizzard Consumer Products. “As an expert in the space, Fanatics is well-suited to help us meet that goal, and we’re thrilled to be working with them.”
Fanatics’ network of domestic and international distribution centers will ensure efficient delivery of merchandise to gamers around the world, while also providing access to round-the-clock customer service functions and state-of-the-art encryption technology to protect users’ personal information.
“We are excited to continue our expansion into the gaming and esports world through this unique, expanded deal with Blizzard Entertainment,” said Alex Dean, Fanatics general manager, Esports and Gaming. “Over the past year we’ve seen a tremendous response from this passionate community, and this is an incredible opportunity to provide our world-class technology and mobile platform capabilities to best serve fans shopping across some of the most popular games and franchises.”
The new North America and Europe Blizzard Gear Stores are now live at gear.blizzard.com.