Ninjas in Pyjamas is one of the few Western esports organizations to field a roster in the LPL, China’s top League of Legends competition. The Swedish organization, defined by decades of Counter-Strike heritage, entered the Chinese league after acquiring a slot in 2023. That move made NiP an unprecedented case in LPL history: a European brand competing in the world’s most talent-rich LoL league, and doing so with full access to the league-wide Li-Ning apparel program.
The 2024 Li-Ning jersey brought NiP into the same production pipeline that outfits every LPL team, from world champions to newcomers.
Design: East Meets West
The 2024 NiP jersey reflected the organization’s unique position as a European brand operating in a Chinese league. Li-Ning’s design team integrated NiP’s ninja-themed branding into the LPL’s established design framework, resulting in a jersey that felt distinctly Chinese in construction and visual language while carrying the identity that NiP fans have recognized for over two decades.
The colorway and patterning deliberately differentiated the LPL jersey from NiP’s European esports apparel. Rather than importing the Swedish brand wholesale, the Chinese division was building its own visual identity, one that acknowledged the LPL’s cultural design traditions while respecting NiP’s international brand equity.
Li-Ning Production Quality
Competing in the LPL meant NiP accessed Li-Ning’s full manufacturing pipeline. The jersey featured premium polyester construction with sublimated graphics, built to the same production standards applied to every team in the league. This is one of the LPL’s greatest strengths as an apparel ecosystem: regardless of a team’s budget, brand recognition, or origin, every organization receives the same Li-Ning quality.
For NiP, this equal treatment was especially meaningful. As a Western entrant without the massive Chinese fanbase that organizations like EDG or JDG command, the Li-Ning partnership ensured that NiP’s merchandise met the same standard that LPL fans expect from any team in the league.
What NiP’s LPL Jersey Represents
NiP’s presence in the LPL was ambitious and commercially risky. The 2024 Li-Ning jersey was a tangible artifact of that ambition, a product that merged two distinct esports cultures into a single piece of apparel. For international NiP fans, it offered something entirely different from the organization’s European merchandise. For Chinese fans, it introduced a foreign brand through the familiar quality and design language of Li-Ning.
The jersey demonstrated that the LPL’s centralized apparel model works regardless of a team’s origin. Whether the organization is a homegrown Chinese powerhouse or a Swedish newcomer, the Li-Ning program delivers consistent quality that lets fans focus on loyalty rather than production value.
More NiP Coverage
- NiP x Li Ning 2026 LPL Jersey
- NiP x FILA Shinobi Shozoku Jersey
- NiP x FILA 2023 Full Collection
- Li-Ning Replaces Nike as LPL Apparel Sponsor
- NIP Li-Ning 2026 LPL Jersey
Where to Buy
NiP Li-Ning LPL jerseys are available through ShopNings for international buyers and via team stores on Taobao and JD.com within China.
