Korean esports powerhouse Nongshim Redforce is gearing up for an exciting year, announcing a significant partnership with the streaming platform CHZZK. This collaboration is set to bring fresh, exclusive content and joint IP ventures to the organization’s esports teams in the 2026 season.
Exciting Collaborations and Expanding Partnerships
The new partnership will cover popular esports titles such as League of Legends, VALORANT, and FC Online. Nongshim Redforce’s alliance with CHZZK marks a pivotal addition to its growing roster of commercial partners, which includes Logitech G and ZOWIE. Additionally, the team recently announced a partnership with global outdoor brand MILLET as its official apparel sponsor for the upcoming season. CHZZK, under its parent company Naver, has been expanding its esports influence by securing broadcasting rights for major competitions like the League of Legends Champions Korea and the 2025 Esports World Cup.
Nongshim Redforce Heading into 2026
Nongshim Redforce is actively reconfiguring its teams as the 2026 season approaches. In November, the League of Legends team introduced five new players, including Bae ‘Sponge’ Young-jun as jungler and Kim ‘Taeyoon’ Tae-yoon as bot-laner. New additions also include Lee ‘Scout’ Ye-chan as mid-laner, Hwang ‘Kingen’ Seong-hoon, and Son ‘Lehends’ Si-woo. Despite not qualifying for Worlds 2025, the team achieved notable success by securing third place at the 2025 Asia Invitational.
Valorant Developments and Achievements
In the realm of VALORANT, Nongshim Redforce has maintained a stable roster with minimal changes since 2024. However, the team made strategic adjustments by bidding farewell to players Yang ‘Persia’ Zi-on and Kim ‘margaret’ Ji-woo earlier this year and appointing Goo ‘Rb’ Sang-min as the new in-game captain. Although the team did not qualify for VALORANT Champions this year, they finished as runner-up in the VCT Ascension Pacific, securing a spot in the VCT Pacific for 2026.