Microsoft has a history of partnering with influential people for gaming-related purposes, be it working withDwayne “The Rock” Johnson to provide consoles to children’s hospitalsor offering Tyler “Ninja” Blevins a replica of the Gravity Hammer fromHaloto advertise a crossover with Epic Games’Fortnite. Over the Christmas holiday, Xbox provided (non-American) football star Antoine Griezmann a customXbox Series X, likely to help advertise the company’s latest console.
Griezmann is a forward for FC Barcelona and the France national football team, and he was a major player that helped lead France to win the 2018 World Cup, according to Forbes. He’s listed as number 60 in Forbes' highest-paid athletes of 2020 list, with a salary of $26.7 million. However, he is also one of manyathletes with an interest in video games.
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In January, Griezmann got involved in the world of esports.Antoine and his brother Theo created Grizi Esports, an organization aiming to compete in multiple games includingFortnite,League of Legends,CS:GO, and, of course,FIFA. This interest in video games likely led to Antoine becoming involved with Team Xbox, which sent him an Xbox Series X that includes extra gold text featuring his name and the phrase “power your dreams.” He thanks Xbox’s English and French accounts for the gift on both Twitter and Instagram.
Though theXbox Series X and Series S have broken console sales recordsin places like the UK, it has still been difficult for many non-influencers to get their hands on a new Xbox or Sony’s PlayStation 5. This has been especially apparent during the holiday season, though both companies have been working on restocking units going into 2021.
That being said, certain accessories with custom skins have been made accessible through limited-time giveaways.Butterfinger is giving away custom Xbox Series X controllersvia a collaboration with Microsoft, for example, and there are tie-in sweepstakes for titles like CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077.
It’s unlikely anyone will ever be able to get a replica of the special Xbox Series X provided to Antoine, however. The design is simple enough that anyone who currently owns anXbox Series Xcould potentially recreate it using their own device, but if nothing else this would not carry the same sentimental value. Given the football star’s interest in video games, it will no doubt be put to good use whenever he may be able to find time between real-world sporting events.
