Bugha Partners With Five Below To Release A Line Of Affordable, Quality Gaming Accessories
I don’t know much about professional Fortnite, but it isn’t hard to write about someone from any professional scene when they do something awesome like this.
Kyle Giersdorf, better known as “Bugha”, is a 17 year old from Pennsylvania who also just so happens to be a Fortnite World Cup Champion and former Esports Player of the Year. He also is the latest streamer/esports athlete to get into the “licensed gear” game, as he just announced a new product line with an unlikely partner – the specialty discount store chain Five Below.
Each part of the product line – including a mouse, keyboard, mic, headset, headset stand, mousepad, and speaker system – will cost only $10. This is consistent with Five Below’s business model, where everything in the store is $1, $5, or $10.
I’m sure there’s gonna be eggs on Twitter who will roast these accessories, but the fact of the matter is that Bugha just broke ground by (hopefully) ushering in a new wave of affordable gaming peripherals. In a world where one mid-range “professional gaming” mouse easily costs more than $70, now anyone – regardless of age, income, or background, can own professionally licensed gaming gear to help them look (and feel) that much more invested in their hobby or aspiring profession.
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age, or maybe this really is just the most genuinely heartwarming things in recent memory, but each accessory comes with a trading card, each of which include the quote – “You don’t have to be from a big city to do something big. I’m living proof!” across the top. Bugha, know it or not, is showcasing more poise, vision, and professionalism than almost all of his other peers in the gaming space by putting his name on this product line. This post from Shaq comes to mind.
As someone who used to work in gaming and electronics retail for a decade, I’ve seen parents cry and have nervous breakdowns over not being able to afford or find the right games, accessories, and consoles for their kids. Now that we find ourselves in a world where young esports pros and streamers are making serious incomes at young ages, maybe this new Bugha line of accessories will help parents and kids alike breathe a sigh of relief this holiday.
Imagine being a kid on Christmas – who was told repeatedly all year that professional gaming equipment was way too expensive – only to wake up in the morning to a whole new gaming setup? This is the type of stuff that will make someone’s year, hell – maybe their life.
Big props to Five Below for makinng this happen, and to Bugha for stamping his name on it. I can only hope that more pros follow suit.
