Permanent Collection

NŌBL’s Gambit for Team Vitality x Esports World Cup

Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2026

French motion studio NŌBL channels the strategy and sacrifice of a chess match in this film for Vitality, one of Europe’s top esports teams, and their participation in the Esports World Cup 2026 this summer in Riyadh.

Julien Nantiec & Cyril Izarn, CDs at NŌBL: “The EWC represents one of the most ambitious international competitions in the esports ecosystem, bringing together the world’s leading organizations across multiple disciplines in a single global event.

“Beyond the competition itself, our challenge was to express the mindset behind high-level esports: strategy, precision, collective performance, and constant adaptation.

“Our challenge was to express the mindset behind high-level esports: strategy, precision, collective performance, and constant adaptation.”

“Vitality needed a film capable of translating these values into a strong and universal narrative, one that could resonate both with dedicated fans and a broader audience, while reflecting the team’s identity and competitive spirit ahead of the tournament.

“We conceived a 45-second motion film built around a giant chess match as a metaphor for competition, where strategy, timing and sacrifice reflect the team’s motivation, cohesion and drive to win.

“As the game unfolds, Vitality’s different disciplines appear as pieces on the board, each move bringing the match closer to its final outcome. The progression of the match structures the narrative, gradually increasing tension toward a decisive finale.”

Watch the Case Study:

Images

A black chess king is knocked over by a white queen against a dark background. The words “EVERY FIGHT,” “VITALITY,” and “NŌBL VITALITY” stand out in bold yellow, with abstract lines, the Team Vitality logo, and an EWC touch.

A promotional graphic for Counter-Strike 2 spotlights five esports players—Apex, Mezii, Ropz, Flamez, and Zywoo—from NŌBL VITALITY at EWC, framed by bold yellow text and sleek, minimalistic chess-themed icons.

Yellow text on a black background reads WE PUSH FORWARD in large bold letters, accompanied by the EWC bee logo and the phrase WE THE HIVE with NŌBL VITALITY appearing in smaller text multiple times.

A grayscale VALORANT esports team poster features four NŌBL VITALITY players posing confidently, their names—SAYF, DERKE, KICKS, and ALFAYOPH—below. Large painted chess pieces and bold yellow EWC accents and text complete the design.

A flag featuring “VITALITY” in white and bold yellow letters “EWC” over it, inspired by NŌBL VITALITY. Smaller text reads “EVERY WIN COUNTS,” with winged logos throughout in a black, white, and yellow palette.

Credits

Client: Vitality

Production: NŌBL
CD: Julien Nantiec, Cyril Izarn
Graphic designer: Kasper Nyman
2D Motion designer: Clément Pyla
3D artist: Kasper Nyman
Editor/Compositor: Julien Nantiec, Cyril Izarn