We all know Loot Crate. Who else would you trust to send you a box filled with geeky goodness every month? Loot Crate has become extremely relevant over recent years, and not just for its service. Loot Crate has put its name on the face of numerous esports teams, with Cloud9 and OpTic Gaming being the most notable. At GAMURS, we are proud to say that we and Loot Crate are partners, and wear that title with honour. Here’s a look into what Loot Crate is, where it came from, and its importance within the gaming and esports community.
Where it all began
The idea was simple: fit Comic-Con in a box. While it would be seemingly impossible to fit an entire convention into a box, Matthew Arevalo and Chris Davis (co-founders of Loot Crate) didn’t let this stop them. Within the first month of starting up the company, shortly after the LA Startup Weekend of 2012, they were preparing to ship to 60 subscribers. Both Arevalo and Davis quickly realised the potential their service had, noticing the demand for subscription boxes online. Their idea grew, combining the exclusivity and novelty of Comic-Con style merchandise and apparel into one affordable box. Not only this, but what you would be getting is a mystery.
Loot Crate began to build its popularity, and used social media perfectly to widen its following. Being gamers and geeks themselves, Loot Crate approached content creators within the gaming community who appreciated and believed in their service. This move towards partnering with influential people in the community is arguably what led to an unboxing craze. Channels started to appear all over YouTube, some dedicated entirely to unboxing Loot Crate every month. It was during this time that the Loot Crate name became common knowledge between gamers and geeks alike.
Fast forward three years and you land here in the present. Loot Crate is the face of online subscription boxes. They boast a wide range of subscriptions, where they continue to diversify on their already existing subscriptions. You want geek/gaming clothes? Loot Crate has got you covered. Want to dress your pet up in the same apparel you get in your subscription? They have a Loot Crate for that too. Do you want a Loot Crate specifically based around your favourite futuristic first person shooter, Halo? Of course, there’s a subscription for that too. Loot Crate continues to widen its audience, and will continue to make geeks and gamers everywhere happy for years to come.
Loot Crate and esports
Back in 2014, Loot Crate became a sponsor for OpTic Gaming. At the time, Loot Crate was going strong, but needed to break into the gaming community. When announcing their partnership with Loot Crate, many OpTic fans were not aware of what the service actually was. Another year passed, and Loot Crate sponsored esports team Cloud9. By this time, Loot Crate was becoming ever more popular, especially with gamers. So much so, that at the start of 2016, Loot Crate announced its brand new Loot Gaming subscription.
Loot Gaming launched in March with its theme of “Legacy,” and it was a huge success. Finding so much success with their gaming-related subscription, Loot Crate began partnering with gaming companies, including 343 Industries and Activision. Loot Crates Halo and Call of Duty themed crates were so popular, that Loot Crate had to make them available again due to such high demand. The increasing popularity has led to a lot of merchandise becoming exclusive to Loot Crate, while they still manage to keep the subscription at an affordable price.
As a gamer (and as a geek), I would without a doubt recommend Loot Crate. Merchandise and apparel are two things I can’t live without. Now I don’t know about everybody else, but geeky and gaming loot that is exclusive, as well as reasonably priced, just seem to go hand in hand. It’s always exciting to ponder what they could possibly do next. My hopes are for an esports themed Loot Crate, which celebrates the teams that the boxes are based on. Imagine opening your Loot Crate and just seeing esports apparel and merchandise for your favourite team. Knowing Loot Crate, this journalist’s dream could become a reality very soon.
What would you like to see in a Loot Crate? Leave us a comment down below, or tweet us @GAMURScom.
Jordan Aldridge-Payne is an esports journalist for GAMURS and can be reached on Twitter @mrjordanap.
Written in collaboration with @shelbijhayes.
All images used were sourced from Loot Crate.
