Sentinels are making their own Hopium, instead of leaving it to fate.
Sentinels have unveiled Hopium, a new “no filler, no crash” powdered energy drink aimed at their fans in collaboration with ADVANCED. Hopium was unveiled in a video on Twitter/X on Dec. 5, and released on sale on the ADVANCED.gg website the same day.
ADVANCED x Sentinels Hopium Energy, Raspberry Lemonade flavor is a collaboration between esports organization Sentinels and performance supplement creator ADVANCED. Retailing for a basic price of $34.99 for a 40-serving, 100g tub, Hopium was reportedly developed alongside the Sentinels teams:
“We teamed up with legendary esports crew Sentinels to bring you this bold new ENERGY flavor, where sharp lemon tang and strategic raspberry sweetness burst onto your tastebuds like a fully automatic at close range. Infused with natural caffeine and theanine from green tea, each delicious sip is an exhilarating tribute to the Sentinels’ legacy: dynamic, spirited and relentless. Lock in your loadout and get it before it’s gone!”
ADVANCED is gaming supplement company founded in 2018 by Peter Nguyencong and Eric H. They currently sell powdered energy drinks, canned drinks, sleep mist, sleep aids, and drinks shakers.
The name Hopium is a riff on the hopium meme, linked to the copium meme where esports fans find themselves huffing “copium” to endure losses or no-win situations. Hopium is a more positive take on copium.
The Sentinels organization may well need all the hopium it can get - In August, we reported that a company memo stated that Sentinels had enough money to operate for just two to three months after losing $8.2 million dollars in 2022. Following this, in October, James Fudge of the Esports Advocate reported that the ownership group had committed an additional $3.4 million for ongoing operations and future expansion.
However, without a dramatic reduction in their ‘burn rate,’ which in August stood around $700,000, this would only add an additional five months to that total. The Esports Advocate article cited a quote that indicated a reduction due to “industry-wide reductions in player costs.” Sentinels currently has a VALORANT roster, Halo team, and Apex Legends trio on their books, as well as a handful of content creators.
Hopium will hopefully be just one of many new revenue streams for the organization. At least the company has some humor and awareness around its situation. However, we’d suggest sticking to drinking Hopium, rather than huffing it.
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