Esports Season 2025
As Fenworks entered its fourth and largest esports season, the stakes had never been higher. For the first time, esports was being sanctioned by state activities associations across multiple states where we operate, putting us in the spotlight alongside traditional sports. What began as a company initiative had grown into something much bigger, a movement to legitimize high school esports as a pathway for students, worthy of recognition and celebration.
Skills Contributed:
Art Direction ● Videography ● Video Editing ● Photography ● Graphic Design
Behind the Vision
We knew that simply running larger tournaments wasn’t enough. The challenge was to make student success more visible than ever, while also framing esports in a way that felt familiar to communities used to Friday night lights and packed gyms. The task was to balance authenticity with aspiration: to create a visual identity that celebrated our Midwest roots while showing that esports belonged on the same stage as traditional athletics.
To meet that challenge, I developed an aurora-inspired art direction, light leaks, curved textures, and vivid colors drawn from the northern sky. The aurora became a metaphor for students shining in their moment, grounding our brand in the culture of the region while giving it a fresh, striking identity.
The creative wasn’t just for show. To mirror the legitimacy of traditional sports, I designed matchup graphics, highlight packages, and recap visuals that echoed the excitement of televised athletics. These elements carried through every channel: broadcast graphics, jerseys and apparel, social campaigns, and live event media. Whether on screen, in the stands, or online, the message was the same: students are the heroes of the story.
Where It Landed
The results spoke for themselves:
📺 10,000+ live viewers for our state tournaments, a new milestone for reach.
📈 10x increase in impressions and 6x the interactions compared to the previous season.
💬 Countless stories from students, parents, and educators telling us our work made a real difference in their lives.
Most importantly, this season helped position esports as a legitimate, sanctioned pathway for students in the Upper Midwest. What started as an ambitious creative direction became a turning point for Fenworks and the communities we serve, proof that esports can inspire, connect, and elevate students just like any other sport.
