French esports organisation Team Vitality has announced a new partnership with watch manufacturer Garmin.
As a part of the deal, the American company will supply Team Vitality with its Instinct® Esports Edition watch. In addition, the two brands will work together to research and further develop Garmin’s esports product.
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Nicolas Maurer, CEO of Team Vitality spoke on the partnership: “Everyone has their own speciality. Garmin is a technological brand with talented research and development teams. For our part, our knowledge stems from practice. We have experienced professional players, who have very specific and different expectations, depending on the title.”
The Instinct® Esports Edition model is based on Garmin’s health and sports technologies and features a specific function for biometric data analysis during games. Moreover, the watch is capable of analysing and displaying the user’s heart rate and stress level, alongside having a game timer.
“Innovation has always been a part of our DNA, but this time we feel even more involved and boosted by this partnership, which aims to develop the best possible product and meet the expectations of all audiences, both professionals and amateurs,” said Maurer. “It will be exciting to follow the evolution and progress of this innovative product.”
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According to the release, Team Vitality’s players are yet to test out which functions included in the watch will be most helpful, however, Maurer believes that the product could help enhance the team in titles such as CS:GO and League of Legends.
Maurer continued “We can imagine that in games like Counter-Strike or League of Legends, the watch can be used in key moments of the game and provide additional information, which would allow players to make the right decisions at the right time.
“It is important to remember that esports is based on two essential principles: decision-making and mechanical execution. These choices are made in record time and every second counts. This is where the watch will have a role to play.”
Esports Insider says: Unlike Gucci’s sold-out Fnatic watch and FaZe Clan’s anniversary Casio watch, Garmin’s watch has been designed to tailor to the health and performance side of esports. The data provided by the device, like stress or heartbeat, will undoubtedly helpVitality’s players during training and competitive matches. Ultimately, the collaboration yet again sees Vitality put an emphasis on health and fitness through its partnerships.