These days, all gamers seem to have their own gamer merch shops where they sell products that their adoring fans can purchase. It’s a genius way of maximising revenue while creating a stronger connection between the gamer and their fans.
If you’re a gamer with a strong fanbase, it only makes sense to start selling some merch of your own! Before you get started, it helps to learn what makes a merch shop good or bad. We’ve compiled a list of ten of the most popular gamer merch shops around and looked at their pros/cons:
#1 DanTDM
DanTDM is one of the most popular UK Youtubers of all time and is actually an award-winning, world recording breaking gamer! He was named the highest-paid Youtube star in 2017, so his gamer merch must be successful.
Merch Design Pros
Dan’s merch is great as it really stands out from the crowd with some bold designs, shiny materials, and vibrant colours. We like how fashionable his merch is as a lot of it can pass as general fashion items rather than streamer merch. The website matches the merch in that it is very clean and everything is nicely spread out – there’s also a neat animation at the top that adds a touch of class.
Merch Design Cons
If we’re being super critical, perhaps he can improve the product photo as they currently show the merch from one angle with one close-up of the design. Also, maybe show more diverse models of different body types.
#2 LazarBeam
A high-school dropout that used to work on a construction site, LazarBeam is now a highly popular Australian Youtuber and streamer with over 17 million subscribers. Amongst his gaming success, he also starred in the 2020 movie Free Guy, playing himself!
Merch Design Pros
His gamer merch shop is one of the best around in terms of usability. You can select the currency, which is a brilliant touch, and there are plenty of photos of each product from different angles. The way the image transitions to a different one when you hover over it is also pretty cool. As for the merch itself, it’s very simple and stylish. Anyone can wear this and it would look like you’re wearing something from a fashionable brand.
Merch Design Cons
There isn’t much to criticise, but again we could see different models instead of just the gamer. This is super important to customers as they need a more accurate way of seeing how things fit.
#3 Valkyrae
After starting out on Instagram. Valkyrae transitioned to YouTube and now has an exclusive streaming contract with the platform. She’s one of the biggest female gamers out there, helping to break the mould in a male-dominated industry.
Merch Design Pros
Her merchandise is outrageously fashionable and is sold on a crisp and modern website. Everything is neatly laid out, it’s easy to find the products, and she has both male and female models. Everything is sold out, so it must be good!
Merch Design Cons
One tiny critique is that there aren’t many colours to choose from – most of the merch is black. So, if her fans prefer something more colourful, they’re out of luck here.
#4 Tfue
One of the biggest streamers and best Fortnite players around Tfue has grown into a huge online presence over the last few years.
Merch Design Pros
He has a very traditional streamer merch shop, selling designs that are clearly targeted towards fans more than fashion.
Merch Design Cons
Ironically that’s perhaps the big criticism here, only fans are likely to buy his designs as they’re not the sort of things you’d wear in public. His merch is also sold on Spreadshirt, which isn’t bad but does mean there’s a lack of control over what’s on there. It’s easy for people to buy non-official Tfue merch without realising.
#5 MrBeast
Famed for acts of generosity, MrBeast is one of the most innovative gamers of this generation. Aside from his YouTube success, he has also started a foundation that’s raised over $22 million!
Merch Design Pros
MrBeast has some of the best gamer merch around with both simple and outlandish designs for fans to enjoy. We love how the products unfold themselves when you hover over them, though this does slow down the website slightly. A huge positive from the website is the inclusion of videos to show the merch from lots of angles on an actual human moving around – a great tip for all of you out there.
Merch Design Cons
Honestly, it’s hard to find any faults with this merch or the shop. Everything looks great, and there’s a broad variety of crazy designs and simple pieces. The array of different merch items is also great, meaning there’s something for everyone.
#6 Evan Fong (Vanoss Gaming)
Evan Fong rose to fame thanks to his funny gaming videos that really started the group gaming trend.
Merch Design Pros
His gamer merch is, quite frankly, sublime. It features Asian-inspired designs in a nod to his heritage, and there’s a mixture of very bold and simple designs. He’s got something for everyone, and even includes plushies and collectable figurines!
Merch Design Cons
While the designs are fantastic, they do seem to cater to quite a niche market. If his fans don’t usually wear clothes like this, they might not pick up the designs.
#7 Ali-A
An icon in the gaming world who currently owns the Guinness World Record for Most Popular Call of Duty Channel by views, and Most Popular Call of Duty Channel by subscribers.
Merch Design Pros
Ali-A has opted for some of the simplest designs out there, which you can look at as a pro or a con. They’re mainly branded pieces with his logo emblazoned on the front, which is simple enough for most fans to enjoy.
Merch Design Cons
The downside of a simple design is that it might bore a lot of fans. Also, he has the same issue as Tfue with lots of non-official merch being sold on the same site. To improve, he should probably create is own merch shop.
#8 PewDiePie
The biggest gaming YouTuber of all time. PewDiePie has over 100 million subscribers and has broken numerous records over the years while solidifying himself in YouTube history.
Merch Design Pros
His gamer merch shop is excellent in terms of how everything is laid out and how simple it is to navigate. We also enjoy the categories feature splitting everything up for you. He offers a diverse range of products with some eye-catching designs – some of which are more for diehard fans, while others are very fashionable and stylish. The clothes are things you can wear out and about, with a sprinkling of options for anyone that really wants to rep PewDiePie.
Merch Design Cons
The big criticism is a common one; a lack of different product photos! It’s hard to get a proper feel for the designs, though we do like what we can see.
#9 CourageJD
With a degree in Electronic Media and Film, it’s no surprise that CourageJD amassed a huge online following and became one of the biggest streamers on Twitch.
Merch Design Pros
His merch is very much based on high-end fashion and it’s being sold on DesignByHumans. He has his own page on the website, meaning you can be certain you’re getting legit merch. Partnering with online stores like this can be a smart way of increasing revenue as you take advantage of their existing web traffic!
Merch Design Cons
It’s a similar story to Valkyrae in that there aren’t many colours present. Again, this might not be a problem for some, but it can make other fans wish for the same designs but different colourways.
#10 Tom Cassell
Tom Cassell, or Syndicate, is a British YouTuber that was once the first person to reach 1 million followers on Twitch. Before catapulting himself to gaming stardom, Tom used to work in his local Mcdonalds!
Merch Design Pros
He definitely has a great array of streamer merch for fans to choose from. It’s incredibly modern and stylish, looking more like a fashion brand than something a gamer would produce. Still, there are a few traditional designs with Syndicate logos for the old-school fans.
Merch Design Cons
The actual merch designs can’t really be faulted as they look really good. However, his store looks great and is well-designed, but there’s perhaps too much going on and he could scale back the amount of content on the homepage.
Overall, there are a few key talking points to consider before making your gamer merch store. Firstly, some of the best gamer merch tends to be highly fashionable. You want to create products that align with your brand and let fans connect to you, but also that they’d happily wear every day. Also, it’s preferable to have your own official website to avoid any knock-off merch being sold to your fans. Lastly, one of the biggest takeaways is that you need plenty of product photos and preferably a few models to showcase different sizes.
If you enjoyed this list, then feel free to check out a similar one that looked at the best YouTuber merch shops in general.
