CHEXX named paiN Gaming main jersey sponsor for IEM Cologne

Crypto betting platform CHEXX will be paiN Gaming’s main jersey sponsor at the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The logo will appear on the centre-belly and right shoulder-blade of paiN’s official Counter-Strike 2 kit for the full duration of the tournament, and the partnership includes on-site and digital promotions.

CHEXX, already an official betting partner of tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group, will host a spectator booth at the Cologne venue. The platform will run interactive activations and promotional giveaways, including co-branded paiN jerseys, and the agreement requires targeted promotional posts across paiN’s official channels and the team’s active CS2 roster. The sponsorship is limited to the IEM Cologne Major period.

PaiN Gaming and event organisers said the collaboration will provide branded touchpoints for fans at the venue and online. The physical presence is intended to allow direct engagement with spectators through demonstrations and giveaways, while social media activity will promote the team and the platform to paiN’s followers.

The announcement drew mixed reactions on social media. Some users criticised sponsorship deals tied to the betting sector, a debate that has appeared across esports after recent agreements between teams and betting or prediction platforms.

The partnership announcement comes as paiN continues to manage fallout from separate internal issues earlier in 2026. In March, long-standing CEO Thomas Hamence resigned after reporting into the organisation’s handling of sexual abuse allegations involving League of Legends player Alexandre “TitaN” Lima. Several fan groups cut ties with the club following the reports. The LoL squad also recorded one match victory in the recent CBLOL split. paiN’s CS2 division was not publicly implicated in those matters.

Team captain Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt posted on X asking fans to support the organisation’s other esports divisions, writing, “paiN is more than just LoL” and noting that other teams “still count on [fans’] support and affection.”

PaiN has continued commercial activity while addressing the crisis. The organisation ran a marketing campaign with Duracell in late 2025 and fields a seven-a-side Kings League team under the name Desimpain through a partnership with Brazilian YouTube channel Desimpedidos; that roster won the domestic tournament and qualified for the international edition of the circuit.

IEM Cologne Major 2026 takes place in Cologne, Germany, with Global Esports Industry Week scheduled to run 18–21 June alongside the tournament. CHEXX branding will appear on paiN’s jerseys for the full championship and through coordinated on-site activations and digital promotions.