ARK/8// try harder
ARK/8 is a privately held London-based premium streetwear brand founded in 2019 that designs limited-edition apparel translating video game franchises such as Elden Ring, Metal Gear Solid, Call of Duty, and Overwatch 2 into wearable fashion, sold globally through DTC e-commerce and flagship stores in London and Los Angeles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ARK/8// try harder does
ARK/8 is a privately held premium streetwear brand founded in 2019 by Dimitri van Eetvelde, headquartered in London (ARK/8 Ltd), that designs and sells limited-edition apparel translating major video game franchises — including Elden Ring, Metal Gear Solid, Call of Duty, Overwatch 2, and Dead Island 2 — into wearable fashion. Its product range spans t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, outerwear, dresses, skirts, and accessories, priced from approximately $25 for socks to $2,000 for dresses, with most core apparel priced between $52 and $799. The brand maintains an original house line called After Dark (developed with photographer Liam Wong) alongside its licensed gaming collections, and all garments are manufactured in Portugal through partners AAC Têxteis and Cordeiro Campos using organic cotton and 410gsm fleece.
The business runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at ark8.net with global shipping via DHL Express, augmented by company-owned flagship stores in London (opened March 2025) and Los Angeles (opened November 2025). Demand generation is driven by limited-edition drops with constrained edition sizes (Editions of 51 to 199) under a proprietary ChronoWave time-based pricing model that rewards early buyers with lower prices. Community engagement is cultivated through Discord, Instagram, YouTube, email newsletters, and the ARK/8 Journal's Culture Canvas interview series featuring gaming industry figures such as Sam Lake and Alanah Pearce.
ARK/8 is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and no reported revenue. It serves two primary customer personas: gaming and entertainment enthusiasts seeking premium fandom apparel, and fashion-forward streetwear consumers seeking unique limited-run pieces. Payments are processed via PayPal with Klarna installment options, and the operating geography is global with primary markets in the UK and United States.
ARK/8// try harder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ARK/8// try harder
- Legal name
- ARK/8 Ltd
- Website
- https://ark8.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ARK/8 is a privately held London-based premium streetwear brand founded in 2019 that designs limited-edition apparel translating video game franchises such as Elden Ring, Metal Gear Solid, Call of Duty, and Overwatch 2 into wearable fashion, sold globally through DTC e-commerce and flagship stores in London and Los Angeles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ARK/8// try harder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
ARK/8// try harder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Direct Apparel Sales: One-time purchase model for apparel and accessories, including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and limited-edition collaboration pieces. Products are sold at set retail prices with occasional pre-order discounts through the ChronoWave time-based pricing system.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | T-shirts and Tops |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hoodies and Sweaters |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Jackets and Outerwear |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
ARK/8// try harder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ARK/8 designs, manufactures, and sells premium limited-edition streetwear apparel and accessories inspired by video games and entertainment IP, including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, dresses, and skate decks produced primarily in Portugal from organic cotton. The brand operates direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce site (ark8.net) and company-owned flagship stores in London and Los Angeles, releasing collections in numbered editions using a ChronoWave time-based pre-order model.
Product overview
ARK/8 is a premium streetwear and fashion brand that creates licensed apparel collections inspired by video games, anime, and entertainment properties. The brand operates as a unified e-commerce platform offering multiple licensed collections including The Lands Between (Elden Ring), After Dark (with photographer Liam Wong), Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Overwatch 2, and Dead Island 2. Product portfolio spans clothing categories (tops, sweatshirts/hoodies, outerwear/coats & jackets, dresses & skirts) and accessories (socks, caps, skate decks, rugs). The brand uses a ChronoWave time-based launch model for new drops. All products are limited editions manufactured primarily in Portugal with organic and sustainable materials. ARK/8 has flagship stores in Los Angeles and London, with a mission focused on 'infinite worlds' translating digital entertainment into wearable fashion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Lands Between Collection
Companies that use ARK/8// try harder
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ARK/8// try harder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
ARK/8// try harder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and supporting.
- Konami Digital EntertainmentcoreCollaboration on Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater collection, featuring tactical streetwear inspired by the legendary game series. Includes varsity jackets, hoodies, t-shirts, and skate decks with ChronoWave time-based pricing.
- Blizzard EntertainmentcoreOverwatch 2 collaborations including 'From Busan to Hanamura' and 'KOYORIN' collections featuring Korean and Japanese styles. Products include bomber jackets, track jackets, and character-themed apparel.
- Activision PublishingcoreCall of Duty: Black Ops 6 capsule collection featuring signature camo, urban landscapes, and 90s gaming culture references. Products include souvenir jackets ($340), hoodies, t-shirts, and exclusive Calling Card codes on wearable dog tags.
- Bandai Namco Entertainment / FromSoftwarecoreCollaboration on 'The Lands Between' Elden Ring collection, featuring apparel inspired by the Elden Ring game universe. The collection includes luxury pieces like printed bombers ($799), faux fur rune coats ($700), and t-shirts featuring game imagery.
- Dead Island 2 (Deep Silver)secondaryHELL-A collection inspired by Dead Island 2 featuring urban, bold designs infused with American college fashion and horror aesthetics.
- Liam WongcorePhotographer collaboration on After Dark collections (Chapter 1 and 2). Wong's evocative urban photography with surreal colors and otherworldly tones is integrated into the garment designs. Collection includes bodysuits, sweatshirts, bomber jackets, and satin shirts.
- AAC TêxteissupportingPortugal-based textile manufacturer producing ARK/8 garments. Partner ensures responsible sourcing and manufacturing of organic cotton products.
- Cordeiro CampossupportingPortugal-based clothes factory manufacturing ARK/8 apparel, including After Dark collection pieces.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ARK/8// try harder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- J!NX: J!NX is a longtime gaming lifestyle apparel and accessories brand making licensed and original video game-inspired clothing, similar to ARK/8's core proposition of premium gaming-themed apparel.
- Fangamer: Fangamer produces apparel, accessories and home goods officially licensed for major gaming franchises (e.g., Hollow Knight, Undertale), directly comparable to ARK/8's licensed-collectible streetwear model.
- Numskull Designs: Numskull Designs is a gaming merchandise specialist producing apparel and collectibles licensed across video game IP, overlapping with ARK/8's licensed gaming-apparel category.
- Insert Coin: Insert Coin is a UK-based gaming apparel and lifestyle brand creating clothing inspired by video games, making it a direct stylistic and category peer to ARK/8.
- Riot Games Merch: Riot Games operates its own direct-to-consumer merchandise store for League of Legends and Valorant, representing the publisher-controlled form of the same gaming-IP-to-fashion value chain ARK/8 operates in.
- We Are Nations: We Are Nations designs and produces licensed apparel and merchandise for esports teams and gaming titles, sharing with ARK/8 a model of building fashion products around gaming IP partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- The Hundreds: The Hundreds is a streetwear brand built around cultural identity and pop culture collaborations, comparable to ARK/8 in its storytelling-driven, limited-edition drop cadence.
- Represent: Represent is a UK-based premium streetwear brand operating at similar price points and quality tier to ARK/8, anchoring it as a same-region premium streetwear peer even though it does not focus on gaming IP.
- Diamond Supply Co. Diamond Supply Co. is an established premium streetwear brand known for cultural and entertainment collaborations (e.g., Diamond x Tiffany), positioning it as a broader streetwear incumbent with a comparable collaboration-driven drop model.
- Hot Topic: Hot Topic is a large multi-brand pop culture retailer carrying licensed gaming apparel and accessories, treating it as a broader incumbent competing for the same consumer wallet as ARK/8.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ARK/8// try harder social profiles
Digital presenceARK/8// try harder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ARK/8// try harder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ARK/8// try harder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ARK/8// try harder M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ARK/8// try harder
What does ARK/8// try harder do?
ARK/8 designs, manufactures, and sells premium limited-edition streetwear apparel and accessories inspired by video games and entertainment IP, including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, dresses, and skate decks produced primarily in Portugal from organic cotton. The brand operates direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce site (ark8.net) and company-owned flagship stores in London and Los Angeles, releasing collections in numbered editions using a ChronoWave time-based pre-order model.
Is ARK/8// try harder a public or private company?
ARK/8// try harder is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ARK/8// try harder founded?
ARK/8// try harder was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ARK/8// try harder based?
ARK/8// try harder is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does ARK/8// try harder make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct Apparel Sales.
Who are ARK/8// try harder's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are J!NX, Fangamer, Numskull Designs, Insert Coin, Riot Games Merch and We Are Nations. Broad incumbents are The Hundreds, Represent, Diamond Supply Co. and Hot Topic.
Does ARK/8// try harder have an API?
No public API is recorded for ARK/8// try harder.