Brands spent 2021 making inroads in gaming, testing virtual goods in worlds like Roblox and sponsoring esports leagues. And moving into the New Year there's a continued desire for brands to align themselves with some of the biggest personalities in gaming. 

That's because gaming’s popularity shows no signs of slowing down, especially with COVID-19 cases rising due to the omicron variant. The pandemic has been a boon for the gaming industry. In 2020, Americans spent $44 billion on gaming software and services, according to eMarketer. That number rose to $47 billion in 2021. Gaming has become an outlet to pass the time amid lockdowns or connect with friends in an era of social distancing and virtual living. 

This has led to an increase in video game streamers and influencers, some of whom have gained millions of followers.

Ad Age surveyed several gaming agencies and brands asking which streamers and gamers to keep an eye on in 2022.

NICKMERCS

6.3 million Twitch followers

Nicholas Kolcheff, aka Nickmercs, is a Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and a co-owner of esports organization FaZe Clan. He’s known for playing Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends. The 31-year-old has several brand partnerships, including Cash App and Seatgeek. Most notably, he is Under Armour’s first “gamer-athlete,” combining his love of gaming with being a self-confessed “gym rat”.
 

“Under Armour recognizes gaming as a competitive endeavor, and more athletes are engaging in virtual competition than ever before,” said Sean Eggert, senior VP of global sports marketing at Under Armour. “Nick is unique because he thrives at this intersection of gaming and fitness. What really excites us about working with him is the opportunity to investigate the potential for gaming to improve athletic performance, as we are always looking for new ways to help athletes get better.”

FaZe Swagg

2 million Twitch followers

Kris Lamberson is a 25-year-old Call of Duty: Warzone streamer and a member of FaZe Clan. He has worked with several brand partners, including McDonald’s, Totino’s Pizza Rolls, and Beats headphones. "FaZe Swagg was a longtime fan of the brand, and therefore it was a very genuine and easy relationship from the very beginning. We really admired his level of professionalism, his enthusiasm and his ability to create engaging content," Tom Kydd, brand director at Beats, said via email. 

SypherPK

5.3 million Twitch followers

Ali Hassan is an Austin, Texas-based streamer and YouTuber. He’s known for his educational gameplay on Fortnite, focused on teaching tips and tricks. Hassan partners with speaker company JBL, restaurant chain Zaxby’s, and Roccat, a gaming hardware company. Hassan also has his own apparel company, Metal Umbrella.
 

“We watched Sypher grow his following over the last several years and have admired his content, expert skills, and loyal following,” said René Korte, Roccat founder and general manager for PC products at Turtle Beach, a gaming headset company. “Ali’s commitment to helping gamers play better, along with his positive and respectful style of gaming, is encouraging and fun to be a part of.”

itsHafu 

1.3 million Twitch followers

Rumay Wang is a full-time Twitch streamer based in Las Vegas. She built a presence in competitive gaming as a former World of Warcraft pro player and now plays a variety of games, including Among Us, Valorant, and Teamfight Tactics. She has participated in several competitive events sponsored by Twitch Rivals Official Marketing Partners, including Doritos and TurboTax.

The Baka Bros 

812,000 Twitch followers

The Baka Bros are a newer group on the gaming scene. The Call of Duty: Warzone trio is made up of Andrew “DiazBiffle” Diaz, Hector “Repullze” Torres, and Austin “LuckyChamu” Maturan. The three found each other while playing Call of Duty, and eventually Maturan was invited to compete in a Warzone tournament with Diaz and Torres, and Baka Bros was born. The group is known for fostering a positive, safe community around gaming, dubbed the “sexy boys club” by Torres.
 

Tuonto

495,000 Twitch followers

Jake Tuonto is a Genshin Impact streamer, which is a action role-playing game. He also has 500,000 followers on TikTok. Over 70% of Tuonto’s Twitch followers are female, according to Mike Lee, an esports agent at United Talent Agency. “That should be a differentiating factor for female-focused brand partnerships as more non-endemic brands get into the gaming space,” Lee says. 

Lee also points to Antony “AntonyChenn” Chen, who also has a strong female following. Brands might be more familiar with Chen’s TikTok content, where he has 2.7 million followers. But he is also a Genshin Impact streamer with 200,000 followers on Twitch.

TeePee

795,000 Twitch followers

Tyler Polchow is a top Call of Duty: Warzone streamer. He is a former professional Call of Duty player, world champion and coach, who has pivoted to become a full-time content creator. Polchow’s experience gives him credibility among his followers. “He has cultivated an environment of trust among his community, and he can legitimately relay brands’ messages to his fans,” said Lee.
 

Anthony_Kongphan 

513,000 Twitch followers

Anthony Kongphan brings tons of energy and personality into his streams. While most creators on Twitch are expert improvisers, Anthony also has done some acting in the past. That came in handy when he starred in a custom commercial for DoorDash. “He often orders from DoorDash during his streams, so having him take part in the commercial was a no-brainer,” said Sarah Iooss, head of sales for the Americas, Twitch. 

BotezLive

1 million Twitch followers
 
Alexandra, 23, and Andrea Botez, 19, are the duo behind BotezLive. Having grown up playing chess on a competitive level, they’ve taken their passion for the game online, and have played a role in the explosion of chess streams on Twitch, according to Twitch's Iooss. “They truly have found the secret sauce in producing engaging content that spans across interests.” The two, along with SypherPK, are part of the “AT&T Class of 2021,” which is an AT&T streaming initiative with Twitch to support 12 up-and-coming streamers.

KreekCraft

3.6 million YouTube subscribers

Forrest Waldron is a streamer and YouTuber who plays the Roblox games Jailbreak and Piggy. Waldron is ranked as one of the top 10 best Roblox players. Roblox has become more popular with brands as a way to connect with younger audiences. “Brands such as Chipotle, Hyundai and Nickelodeon have taken note and started to really invest into his channel,” said Jordan Mauriello, founder and CEO of MoreYellow, a gaming influencer agency. “We expect his audience to skyrocket in 2022 with continued expansions into the metaverse.”
 

SkillUp 

782,000 YouTube subscribers

SkillUp is a YouTube channel run by Ralph Panebianco, who lives in New South Wales. His content focuses on video game reviews. While Panebianco's face is never seen, his reviews are straightforward, with videos showing gameplay from the titles he’s reviewing.  

“2022 will be a huge year in tech and software progression and many will go to Youtube to hear what their favorite creator’s thoughts are about these new advancements,” said Mauriello. “That being said, we feel the informed game and tech review influencers that give authentic and informative reviews will be a hit in this coming year.”

The channel has partnered with Squarespace and Skillshare, an online learning community. 

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