What NONGSHIM ESPORTS Co., Ltd. does

NONGSHIM ESPORTS Co., Ltd. (농심이스포트 주식회사, business registration 653-87-01293) is the privately-held esports subsidiary of Korean food conglomerate Nongshim Co., Ltd., headquartered in Guro-gu, Seoul. The company operates the NS RedForce (농심 레드포스) competitive esports organization, fielding professional teams across five titles: League of Legends in the LCK, Valorant in VCT Pacific, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, and FC Online. Recent competitive highlights include the VCT Masters Santiago 2026 undefeated championship (the first Ascension-origin team to win a Masters title) and the PMMI 2026 PUBG Mobile title, alongside ten representatives at the 2026 Asian Games esports program — the highest contingent from any single organization.

Beyond competitive teams, the company's primary non-team business is the RedForce PC Arena (레드포스 PC 아레나) franchise network of approximately 400 branded PC café locations across South Korea, operated as a joint venture with PC-café consulting firm BNM Company via the eSportsground JV entity. The company runs the official NS Esports merchandise store (ns-esports.shop), a paid membership program managed through B.Stage, the RED PULSE talent development program (currently in its 6th cohort), and the NSA Esports Academy. International expansion began with the opening of RedForce PC Arena Ho Chi Minh City Branch 1 in Vietnam in March 2026.

The business model is a hybrid of (a) sponsorship revenue from gaming hardware partners (ASUS, BenQ, Logitech G, SteelSeries), apparel (MILLET), CPG/F&B (Nongshim, Lindt, Monolabs), and platforms (Naver Chzzk, B.Stage); (b) franchise and consumer revenue from the PC Arena network; (c) one-time merchandise sales; and (d) recurring paid membership subscriptions. The company employs 13 staff directly, with most operational scaling externalized through the PC Arena franchise model, player contracts, and joint-venture structures.

Name

NONGSHIM ESPORTS Co., Ltd.

Legal name

농심이스포츠 주식회사

Website

https://ns-esports.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NONGSHIM ESPORTS Co., Ltd. is a Seoul-based private esports subsidiary of Korean food conglomerate Nongshim Co., Ltd., operating NS RedForce competitive teams across five titles (League of Legends, Valorant, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, FC Online) and the ~400-location RedForce PC Arena franchise with first overseas branch in Vietnam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Esports Organization

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Amusement Arcades (71312)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Esports Teams & Player Organizations (MPAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Esports Leagues & Circuits (MPAFADAA), Amateur/Grassroots Esports Leagues & Community Tournaments (MPAFADAL), Esports Platforms & Competitive Gaming Networks (BPAMAKAH), Online-Only Esports Competitions (Remote Play) (MPAKANAM)

Keywords

• Professional esports organization
• Esports team operations
• PC cafe franchise
• Esports merchandise
• Esports talent development

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul (서울)

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Merchandise and official goods sales: Sale of branded merchandise including uniforms, jackets, accessories, and fan items through the official online store (ns-esports.shop) and potentially physical outlets.
2. Sponsorships and brand partnerships: Sponsorship revenue from corporate partners across gaming peripherals, apparel brands, food & beverage companies, and streaming platforms. Includes official uniform sponsors (Millet), tech partners (ASUS, BenQ, Logitech), and platform partners (Naver Chzzk).
3. RedForce PC Arena franchise operations: Franchise revenue from the RedForce PC Arena PC café brand, jointly operated with BNM Company. Approximately 400 locations nationwide as of 2026.
4. Paid membership subscription: Annual and monthly paid membership programs offering exclusive access, fan meetings, and limited merchandise to core fans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NONGSHIM ESPORTS Co., Ltd. (operating as NS RedForce / 농심 레드포스) operates professional competitive esports teams across five game titles (League of Legends, Valorant, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, FC Online). It complements team operations with a RedForce PC Arena franchise PC café network of approximately 400 locations, an official merchandise store (ns-esports.shop), a paid fan membership program, and an esports talent development initiative (RED PULSE).

Product overview

NONGSHIM ESPORTS Co., Ltd. (농심 레드포스, NS RedForce) operates as a multi-title esports organization built around competitive gaming teams. The core offering is its roster of professional esports teams competing across League of Legends (LCK), Valorant (VCT Pacific), PUBG Mobile, FC Online, and Honor of Kings — with recent highlights including the 2026 VCT Masters Santiago undefeated championship and PMMI 2026 PUBG Mobile title. Complementing the competitive teams, the company runs 레드포스 PC 아레나, a franchise PC café network (~400 stores nationwide and growing internationally) that serves as both a business unit and an esports training/camp infrastructure. The NS Esports Official Store (ns-esports.shop) handles merchandise including team uniforms, jackets, and commemorative items. RED PULSE is the talent development program for aspiring esports professionals and marketers. The overall portfolio is unified under the NS RedForce brand identity, with each sub-brand serving distinct revenue and community-building functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NS RedForce Esports Teams

Quantifiable outcome

• PMMI 2026 — Champion (PUBG Mobile) with 145 points and KRW 224 million prize
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BIC / 부산인디커넥트페스티벌조직위원회 (Busan Indie Connect Festival Organizing Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026레드포스 PC 아레나 and BIC signed an MOU for indie game infrastructure expansion. RedForce PC Arena will provide hardware infrastructure (PCs, monitors) and technical support for the BIC 2026 Focus Group Test (FGT) zone at the festival (Aug 7–28 online, Aug 14–16 offline at BEXCO Busan). RedForce PC Arena will also support pre-promotion and content creation using its nationwide store network. BIC will provide event space and operational environment.
• 비엔엠컴퍼니 (BNM Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner for 레드포스 PC 아레나 (RedForce PC Arena), a PC café franchise brand. BNM Company (비엔엠컴퍼니) is a PC방 전문 컨설팅 기업 (PC café consulting company) that combines with 농심 레드포스 to operate the franchise. Together they established 이스포츠그라운드 as the JV entity managing the PC Arena brand, which has grown to ~400 locations nationwide.
• 밀레 (MILLET)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench outdoor brand MILLLET partnered with 농심 레드포스 for the 2026 season official uniform. The uniform combines 농심 레드포스's strong brand identity with MILLLET's technical outdoor apparel expertise, featuring black with red accents on shoulders and arm lines. Designed for both functionality and aesthetics with professional sportswear performance.
• 로지텍 (Logitech / Logitech G)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLogitech G is an official partner and sponsor of 농심 레드포스. Logitech provided G PRO 2 LIGHTSPEED gaming mouse as a prize for the EWC 2026 fan meeting lucky draw event (June 2026). Long-standing partnership with joint marketing activities including brand weeks and co-branded promotions.
• 벤큐 (BenQ)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBenQ partnered with RedForce PC Arena for flagship premium PC café locations. The Gwangju Yeongdong flagship store and Paju Yadang flagship location feature BenQ's high-end MOBIUS line monitors across all seats, providing premium gaming visual experiences. BenQ is also a prize sponsor for fan events (XL2566X+ gaming monitor). Plans to expand BenQ premium monitors to all RedForce PC Arena locations nationwide.
• 에이수스 (ASUS)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerASUS Korea signed MOU with RedForce PC Arena to supply gaming hardware including TUF Gaming VG328QA1A monitors, Dual RTX 4060 graphics cards, and ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD ultra-wide monitors. ASUS will also support PC café promotions and events. Partnership enables RedForce PC Arena locations to feature ASUS gaming performance hardware as a key differentiator.
• 모노랩스 (Monolabs)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital healthcare group Monolabs is the parent company of FOCUS partner '공먹젤' (공부할때먹는젤) which partnered with 농심 레드포스 for brand week events. Monolabs extended its sponsorship with 농심 레드포스. Also runs the FOCUS scholarship program providing nutritional supplements (IAM, 공먹젤) to esports talent. Partnership combines esports team brand with health/wellness product marketing.
• 네이버 치지직 (Naver Chzzk)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNaver Chzzk (치지직) is the official streaming platform partner for 농심 레드포스. Collaborated on the Vietnam fan event 'Spicy Happiness in Vietnam' (March 2026) where the team held a two-day fan meeting at RedForce PC Arena Ho Chi Minh City Branch 1. Platform used for live streaming of fan events and match coverage.
• 비스테이지 (B.Stage)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial global fan platform partner for membership management, event ticketing, and fan community engagement. Used for ticket sales for major offline events (Vietnam fan meeting tickets sold out within 5 minutes). 농심 레드포스 was one of the early Korean esports teams to partner with B.Stage for membership services.
• 스틸시리즈 (SteelSeries)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSteelSeries partnered with 농심 레드포스 for brand day events and promotions, providing gaming peripherals for fan engagement activities and events.
• 린트 (Lindt)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss premium chocolate brand Lindt, distributed by 농심, partnered with RedForce PC Arena for in-store promotions. Lindor chocolates were distributed free at 10 RedForce PC Arena locations during an August 2024 promotion event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• T1: Korean esports organization owned by SK Telecom that also competes in LCK League of Legends and VCT Pacific Valorant, with a broader multi-title footprint. Direct competitor in every title NS RedForce fields.
• Gen.G: Korean multi-title esports organization active in LCK and Valorant, with comparable global brand and sponsorship depth. Closest like-for-like competitor for cross-title Korean esports operations.
• KT Rolster: Long-standing Korean LCK franchise backed by telecom KT. Direct competitor in the LCK, with comparable corporate-parent sponsorship economics and brand positioning.
• Paper Rex: Singapore-based VCT Pacific franchise and direct rival in Valorant competition, including the Masters Santiago 2026 grand final. Closest international benchmark for NS RedForce's Valorant competitive performance.
• DRX: Korean LCK franchise with multi-title operations across League of Legends. Direct competitor in LCK fixtures and for sponsorship, fan engagement, and talent acquisition.
• KWANGDONG FREECS: Korean LCK franchise with multi-title presence. Direct competitor for domestic esports audience, sponsorship market share, and corporate-parent brand strategy.
• Hanwha Life Esports: Korean LCK esports organization with corporate parent backing (Hanwha), paralleling NS RedForce's Nongshim parent structure. Direct competitor across LCK and broader team sponsorship negotiations.
• Dplus KIA: Korean LCK franchise competing in League of Legends with similar multi-title ambitions. Direct competitor for domestic LoL audience, sponsorship market share, and franchise-related revenue.

Regional players

• Talon Esports: Asia-Pacific multi-title esports organization with operations in the Pacific region. Comparable regional player for cross-border expansion, mobile esports (PUBG Mobile) and PC café-adjacent venue ambitions.
• ZETA DIVISION: Japan-based multi-title esports organization (VCT, PUBG Mobile). Comparable regional player for Asian VCT Pacific competition and a benchmark for Japanese market expansion strategies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ns_redforce
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4PoHC-R9EeJYTuUv3ndmJw
• Facebookfacebook.com/NSREDFORCE
• Instagraminstagram.com/ns_redforce
• TikToktiktok.com/@nsredforce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nongshimesports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NONGSHIM ESPORTS Co., Ltd.