Riot Games與Coinbase聯隊：無加密付款，只是品牌

遊戲巨頭Riot Games剛剛宣布了與受歡迎的加密交流平台Coinbase建立多年合作夥伴關係。

Gaming giant Riot Games has just announced a multi-year partnership with Coinbase, kicking off with the VALORANT Masters in Toronto this June. But before fans start panicking (or celebrating) at the thought of League coins being sold on FTX, hold up—this move is about branding, not blockchain gameplay.

遊戲巨頭Riot Games剛剛宣布與Coinbase建立了多年合作夥伴關係，並於今年6月與多倫多的Valort Masters開始。但是，在粉絲開始在FTX上出售聯盟硬幣時開始驚慌（或慶祝）之前，請舉行 - 此舉是關於品牌的，而不是區塊鏈遊戲玩法。

Yet.

然而。

What does the partnership include?

夥伴關係包括什麼？

Well, get ready to see the Coinbase name during events, digital campaigns, and some co-branded content. Coinbase will be the “exclusive cryptocurrency exchange and official blockchain technology partner” for some of Riot’s biggest esports events, kicking off with the VALORANT Masters in Toronto this June. It will also sponsor the Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship for League of Legends later in 2023, as well as the VALORANT Masters and Champions tournaments.

好吧，準備在活動，數字廣告系列和一些共同品牌的內容中查看Coinbase名稱。 Coinbase將是Riot一些最大的電子競技活動的“獨家加密貨幣交易所和官方區塊鏈技術合作夥伴”，今年6月與多倫多的Valort Masters一起開始。它還將贊助2023年後期的季季邀請賽和世界冠軍，以及瓦蘭特大師賽和冠軍錦標賽。

The partnership will also include some new broadcast segments, like a VALORANT “Econ Report” and League’s “Gold Grind,” which will break down live in-game currency use and how it impacts matches. Fans can also expect some special event “drops” — like free emotes, icons, and enter promotions for prizes — including winning trips to major tournaments like the VALORANT Champions Tour or LoL Worlds.

該合作夥伴關係還將包括一些新的廣播細分市場，例如Valort的“ Econ Report”和League的“ Gold Grind”，它們將破壞現場遊戲中的現場貨幣使用以及它如何影響匹配。粉絲們還可以期待一些特別的活動“跌落”，例如免費的情感，圖標，並輸入獎品的促銷活動 - 包括參加諸如Valort Champions Tour或LoL Worlds之類的大型比賽。

So, does this mean League or Valorant will start handing out NFTs or crypto rewards? Nope — at least not yet.

那麼，這是否意味著聯盟或瓦蘭特將開始分發NFTS或加密貨幣獎勵？不 - 至少還沒有。

Riot Teams Up with Coinbase: No Crypto Payments, Just Crypto Presence

Riot與Coinbase團隊合作：無加密付款，只有加密貨幣

According to Riot, the partnership is all about “fan engagement and visibility.” There are no plans right now to let players buy skins with Bitcoin or earn Ethereum by grinding ranked games. Instead, expect Coinbase to sponsor in-game segments and cosmetic bundles, plus some new broadcast packages.

根據Riot的說法，夥伴關係全都與“粉絲參與和可見性”有關。現在沒有計劃讓玩家用比特幣購買皮膚或通過磨練遊戲來賺取以太坊。相反，期望Coinbase贊助遊戲中的片段和化妝品捆綁包，以及一些新的廣播套餐。

Coinbase's VP of Marketing, Gary Sun, put it this way: "We're very data-driven, and when you look at audiences, we see a lot of synergies with the esports audiences relative to what we call the next generation of crypto onchain users."

Coinbase的營銷副總裁Gary Sun這樣說：“我們非常數據驅動，當您觀看觀眾時，我們看到與電子競技觀眾相對於我們所謂的下一代加密貨幣用戶的許多協同作用。”

In short: young gamers might become the next wave of crypto users, and Coinbase wants to meet them early. But not everyone is thrilled.

簡而言之：年輕的遊戲玩家可能會成為下一波加密使用者，而Coinbase希望儘早見面。但是並不是每個人都很興奮。

Crypto and Esports: A Messy History

加密和電子競技：一個混亂的歷史

For a start, crypto hasn't always played nice with esports. Remember TSM's big sponsorship deal with FTX — the $210 million naming rights agreement that rebranded the team as TSM FTX? That partnership collapsed in late 2022 when FTX filed for bankruptcy amid fraud scandals, leaving TSM scrambling to cut ties.

首先，加密貨幣並不總是在電子競技上表現出色。還記得TSM與FTX達成的大型贊助協議 - 這項耗資2.1億美元的命名權協議將團隊改名為TSM FTX嗎？該夥伴關係在2022年底倒閉，當時FTX在欺詐醜聞中申請破產，而TSM爭奪削減了聯繫。

That's why some Riot fans are already raising eyebrows. Even without direct crypto sales or in-game features, many worry that seeing crypto brands on major broadcasts could normalize a risky space for a young, sometimes financially inexperienced audience.

這就是為什麼一些防暴粉絲已經在引起人們的注意。即使沒有直接加密貨幣銷售或遊戲中的功能，許多人擔心在主要廣播中看到加密品牌可能會使年輕的，有時是經濟經驗不足的受眾範圍為危險的空間正常化。

But as David Mulhall, Riot's head of global esports partnerships, explained, Riot didn't jump into this lightly. If a partnership doesn't enhance the experience for players and fans, they usually move on—which is why they've been able to maintain partnerships like the one with State Farm for over a decade.

但是，正如Riot的全球電子競技合作夥伴關係負責人David Mulhall所解釋的那樣，Riot並沒有輕易進入這一目標。如果合作夥伴關係不能增強球員和球迷的體驗，他們通常會繼續前進，這就是為什麼他們能夠保持像與州立農場的伙伴關係持續了十多年的原因。

And Mulhall added that they're usually not in a hurry to make quick changes. "We're not easily flustered," he said with a smile.

穆爾哈爾（Mulhall）補充說，他們通常不急於快速改變。他笑著說：“我們不容易慌張。”

He also pointed out that Coinbase has kept a better reputation than most crypto companies, which have been hit hard by this year's crypto winter and several high-profile scandals.

他還指出，Coinbase比大多數加密貨幣公司保持聲譽，這些公司因今年的加密貨幣冬季而受到巨大打擊，並受到了幾次備受矚目的醜聞。

"We're not easily flustered. We've been doing this for a long time, and we're not going to be panicked by the news cycle. We prefer to take a long-term view on our partnerships. If a partnership doesn't feel right, or if it's not adding value to our fans, then we're not afraid to move on. But we're also not in a hurry to make changes. We like to take our time and make sure that we're making the best decisions for our community."

“我們不容易慌張。我們已經做了很長時間了，而且我們不會對新聞周期感到驚慌。我們更喜歡對我們的合作夥伴關係有長期的看法。如果夥伴關係不正確，或者不正確，或者不為我們的粉絲增加價值，那麼我們也不害怕繼續進行。但是我們不願意進行努力。我們要確定我們的時間，並確定我們的時間，並確定了我們的最佳決定。

Sun agreed, saying Coinbase wants to build an "authentic foothold presence" in gaming—not just slap logos and get short-term partnerships.

Sun同意了，說Coinbase希望在遊戲中建立“真正的立足點”，而不僅僅是拍打徽標並獲得短期合作夥伴關係。

"We're not looking for a quick win or a short-term partnership. We want to build something long-lasting and meaningful with a brand that we truly admire. We're also committed to doing this in a way that is sensitive to the community and the gaming experience."

“我們不是在尋找快速的勝利或短期合作夥伴關係。我們希望通過真正欣賞的品牌建立持久和有意義的東西。我們也致力於以對社區和遊戲體驗敏感的方式來做這件事。”

Teaching, Not Preaching

教學，不講道

Sticking with the topic of community concerns, Sun brought up some of the backlash against crypto, which he said is largely due to a lack of understanding.

堅持社區關注的話題，Sun引起了對加密貨幣的一些反對，他說這在很大程度上是由於缺乏理解。

"A lot of people think that crypto is a scam, but that's simply not true. It's a technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and interact with the world."

“很多人認為加密貨幣是一個騙局，但這根本不是事實。這是一項技術，可以徹底改變我們與世界的生活和互動的方式。”

According to Sun, part of Coinbase's mission is to "shrink the educational gap" around blockchain and crypto. He described Bitcoin as "borderless money that moves at the speed of the internet," aiming to fix

根據Sun的說法，Coinbase任務的一部分是“縮小區塊鍊和加密貨幣的教育鴻溝”。他將比特幣描述為“以互聯網速度移動的無邊界資金”，旨在解決