Some of the most recognizable traditional sports players in the world wear Oakley. Now, Oakley can add Call of Duty League All-Star Seth “Scump” Abner to its roster to go alongside other Oakley athletes such as Patrick Mahomes, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Erika Hara, and others. Abner, who currently plays for OpTic Chicago, is now the first-ever esports athlete to sign with the iconic sunglass maker. Abner will be relying on Oakley’s first eye-wear solution developed specifically for gaming – Prizm Gaming Lens Technology.
“Why Oakley? The name speaks for itself. When you hear the word Oakley, you think of a very prestigious brand in the glasses space,” Abner told The Esports Observer. “I watch a ton of sports. I see Oakley all over the place. My favorite sport to watch is baseball and you see those players wearing them every day. Oakley is just an amazing brand, a very cool, and a very hip brand as well. I think Oakley just kinda speaks for itself.”
Oakley, with roots already laid deep inside the traditional sports space, sees esports as another competitive space where players “share in the pursuit of progression, giving it everything they’ve got.” Abner encapsulates that vision as he had had to overcome various vision problems in order to become the player he is today.
“I can’t see anything. Having glasses that help me see and are comfortable are the two most important things I need in a pair,” Abner said. “Playing at the highest level, I need to be able to see everything and react to everything perfectly with no discomfort. You don’t want to have to worry about things inside of the game because of things outside of the game. These Oakleys are pretty much an attachment of me now.
Abner, who used to wear contacts which he said sometimes itch because of bad allergies, now says he wears glasses again. And the prescription lenses that come with a blue-blocking agent, have helped him tremendously.
“I used to wear contacts quite a bit, but now I wear only glasses exclusively,” Abner said. “So again, it’s just really important and amazing that I’ve found a pair that I really like helps with my eye strain. It’s just as cool that the brand is Oakley.”
Despite the ailments with allergies and eyesight, Abner has been able to dominate the Call of Duty esports scene. In fact, the two-time Major League Gaming (MLG) X Games gold medalist who was awarded the “Best Console Player” at the 2017 Esports Industry Awards is often referred to as “The King.”
“I’ve been wearing their product for probably two months now,” Abner said. “The prism’s fit perfectly under my Turtle Beach’s [headset]. With the Oakley’s and the Turtle Beach’s, I have no strain on the top of my ears, which after eight hours, you can imagine how much that would hurt. I haven’t had any issues with these so far and they’re just really comfortable and easy to wear while I’m gaming.”
However, it wasn’t just Abner’s skill in playing Call of Duty that saw Oakley reach out to him for this partnership, but also his philanthropic endeavors. Abner has grown into a “global ambassador for esports” by interacting with his fans and followers through various forms of content creation. He has also participated in charity streams and recently took part in a philanthropic campaign to honor those battling COVID-19.
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