The EFG x Lamborghini long-time collaboration was announced in May 2026 after two successful activations at DreamHack Dallas and Stockholm in 2025. The iconic automobile company becomes the Official Automotive Partner for DreamHack festivals in the US and EU through to 2028, “expanding its presence across EFG’s global events through high-visibility brand integration across the festival floor and premium physical car displays”.
In light of these recent developments, I engaged Andreas Jernberg, VP Brand Partnership Development at EFG, in a conversation regarding the collaboration, the esports industry, and more.
Andreas Jernberg discussing EFG and Lamborghini collaboration and more
Q. This is not the first collaboration between EFG and Lamborghini. We saw something similar in DreamHack Dallas and Stockholm. What drove EFG’s decision to build on this integration and turn it into a long-term partnership?
Jernberg: The pilots we ran at DreamHack Dallas and Stockholm in 2025 were not just successful activations; they were proof of concept. We realized very quickly that the alignment between Lamborghini’s DNA of high performance and cutting-edge design and our audience’s passion for competition was completely organic.
When a heritage luxury brand steps onto the festival floor and gets the kind of reception Lamborghini did, you know you are onto something substantial. What drove the decision to lock in a long-term agreement was the shared vision to move past temporary touchpoints and build a permanent bridge between the automotive dream and digital culture.
We want to give them a multi-year runway to deeply integrate into the lifestyle of our community, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha gamers.
Q. How do you see such integrations of traditionally non-video game but quite popular brands stepping into the video games/esports scene? What value do they bring to the table, and how has the audience reaction been?
Jernberg: It marks a massive maturation of our industry. When a legendary name like Lamborghini enters our space, it validates gaming not just as a pastime but as a cultural force. Brands like this bring immense aspirational value, premium experiences, and structural credibility to the table.
As for the audience reaction? It has been incredibly positive, largely because gamers have a high detector for inauthenticity. They know when a brand is just trying to sell them something versus when a brand is trying to add to their experience.
When Lamborghini shows up with custom physical supercars wrapped in gaming-inspired liveries or builds professional sim-racing challenges on the floor, the community respects the effort. They treat the brand as a natural extension of the lifestyle they are already celebrating.
Q. What should fans and attendees expect from this long-term collaboration between EFG and Lamborghini?
Jernberg: They should expect us to constantly push the boundaries of where the physical and digital worlds meet. We just kicked off this next phase at DreamHack Atlanta, where we featured two stunning Temerario models wrapped in custom, gaming-inspired liveries, including one specifically focused on Fortnite, right inside our Creator Hub.
Moving forward across our US and European festivals, fans can look forward to even higher-visibility footprints, premium physical car displays, interactive sim-racing challenges, and digital culture tie-ins. We are not just parking a car on a convention floor; we are giving attendees a chance to touch, see, and interact with their dream cars both in reality and in their favorite virtual worlds.
Q. Why is the business model for gaming partnerships shifting from flash-in-the-pan ads to long-term digital residencies?
Jernberg: The modern gaming audience demands authenticity, and authenticity takes time to build. A brief, one-off advertisement is easily ignored or forgotten; it does not leave a legacy. Next-generation consumers, specifically Gen Z and Gen Alpha, want to see brands actively participating in their communities over time.
A long-term partnership allows a brand to become part of the event’s tradition and lore. It gives them the flexibility to test new activations, build continuous storylines, and establish a recurring physical and digital presence. It shifts the dynamic from a brand simply sponsoring an event to becoming a core enabler of the fan experience.
Q. With ESL hosting several popular esports events over a calendar year, what do you think about the current condition of the esports industry? Is there still steady growth available, or have we reached a plateau?
Jernberg: We are far from a plateau, but the nature of the growth has shifted. We have moved past the initial hyper-hype phase into a period of healthy stabilization and sustainable, mature development. The sheer volume and scale of our global calendar, from packed arenas at IEM tournaments to massive multi-genre festivals like DreamHack, regularly breaking records for attendance and viewership, prove that the hunger for live competitive gaming is bigger than ever.
Growth now is about depth, integration, and diversification. The ecosystem is healthier because it’s becoming more well-rounded, focusing heavily on live, community-driven experiences rather than just broadcast numbers.
Q. Why is EFG the go-to partner for heritage brands looking to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha through competitive gaming
Jernberg: Simply put, we own the physical and digital town squares of gaming culture. Between ESL, FACEIT, and DreamHack, EFG offers an unmatched end-to-end ecosystem that reaches hundreds of millions of players, fans, and creators globally.
Heritage brands often find Gen Z and Gen Alpha incredibly difficult to reach through traditional media channels because these demographics do not just consume content passively; they live inside interactive ecosystems.
EFG understands how to translate a brand’s identity into the language of competitive gaming without losing what makes that brand special. We provide the scale, the safety, and the cultural insights needed to turn a traditional brand into a digital icon for the next generation.
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Edited by Angshuman Dutta
