Best branding agencies for gaming and esports

Gaming includes studios, publishers, esports teams and companies that build tools or platforms for play. A studio identity has to give the company a recognisable presence without competing with each game’s world; an esports team needs a system that works with players, fans and sponsors. The agencies below are included for documented work across those different settings. Adjacent gaming technology is labelled as such rather than presented as game-development experience.

The order reflects our assessment of published work against this brief; it is not a measured performance ranking. See our methodology.

Ten gaming and esports branding agencies to consider

01 IW Agency

IW Agency’s work for Hazelight Studios is a direct game-studio identity reference. It is relevant to an independent developer whose studio brand needs to be recognisable alongside distinct game titles. Ask how the agency would handle the relationship between the studio identity, each game’s art direction and the communities around them. Hazelight Studios

02 LG2

LG2’s work for Ludia connects a game company’s brand identity with its physical workplace. That makes it a useful example for studios considering how recruitment, internal culture and public identity can reinforce one another. Ask how the agency would keep the studio’s own brand clear beside the individual game properties. Ludia

03 People Made

People Made’s Playtika work addresses a gaming company with a portfolio of mobile titles. It is relevant to publishers and platform businesses that need a parent identity and employee-facing story across different products. Ask how the system gives each game its own appeal while helping audiences recognise the wider company. Playtika

04 Studio Noel

Studio Noel’s work for Kwalee is a direct reference to a mobile game publisher. It is useful for a company bringing multiple games to market and needing a clear identity across recruiting, publishing and partner communications. Ask which applications were designed for the company brand and which for individual titles. Kwalee

05 Design Bridge and Partners

Design Bridge and Partners’ work for ESL concerns a global esports brand. The project is relevant to tournament organisers and competitive gaming businesses balancing players, viewers, sponsors and local events. Ask how the agency would keep the identity recognisable across live broadcasts, venues and team partnerships. ESL

06 Level99

Level99’s H2K project concerns an esports organisation and its competitive identity. It provides a specialist reference for team branding, where a mark and system must work on apparel, broadcast graphics and social channels. Ask how player and fan input informed the system and how sponsor visibility is handled. H2K

07 nk.studio

nk.studio’s Primate project is another direct esports-team example. It is useful to compare with larger tournament identities because it focuses on a team and its fan community. Ask how the visual system can grow beyond a logo into merchandise, player content and match-day communications. Primate

08 Takeoff

Takeoff’s work for DON’T NOD is a direct game-developer identity project. The case is relevant to studios whose public story has to hold across a catalogue of games and a changing company profile. Ask how the agency separated studio recognition from the distinct creative worlds of its titles. DON’T NOD

09 Paradise

Paradise’s Dubit work concerns a company building games and experiences for virtual worlds. It is adjacent evidence for gaming companies whose main offer is a service or platform rather than a game publisher. Ask for the exact deliverables and how the agency would learn the needs of players, studios and platform owners. Dubit

10 20.20

20.20’s work for The Workshop concerns a technology business behind gaming and entertainment platforms. It is a useful adjacent reference for infrastructure providers serving gaming operators, rather than for a game studio itself. Ask how the identity explains the business-to-business offer while retaining a credible connection to player experiences. The Workshop

What to test in a gaming agency pitch

Be specific about whether you are briefing a studio, publisher, team, tournament, platform or game title. Ask how the brand will relate to existing intellectual property, player communities and partner requirements. Test it on a live stream, game store page, team jersey and social post before approving an identity in a static presentation.

Standout project

IW Agency’s Hazelight Studios work is a useful feature because it addresses the studio behind distinct narrative games rather than one game title alone. Review how the studio identity appears alongside the visual worlds it creates. The question for other developers is how to build recognition for the company without flattening the creative identity of each release.

The article should distinguish a studio brand from game branding, publishing, marketing and in-game interface work. Ask what IW Agency delivered and which parts of the identity Hazelight uses across its corporate, recruiting and public channels. The public project is the evidence for the discussion; do not infer sales or audience effects. Project and visual research

Questions readers ask

Does a game studio need its own brand?

A studio brand can help with recruiting, partnerships and recognition across multiple releases. It should sit alongside each game’s own identity rather than replace it.

How is esports branding different from game branding?

Esports branding has to serve teams, players, events, sponsors and fans. A game identity is built around a title and its world. A brief should identify which audiences and applications matter most.

What should I ask a gaming agency to show?

Ask for the exact work, the audiences it served and examples in use. Review applications in a store, stream, venue, social channel or game environment rather than judging only the presentation deck.

How this list was chosen

About That Brand compares agencies through documented work that is relevant to the specific industry and buying problem. Inclusion is editorial, not paid. A place on this list is not a guarantee of availability or fit: confirm the proposed team, scope, fees and evidence directly before appointing an agency.

Read the full methodology