Oakley has added Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, the Counter-Strike 2 captain of Team Vitality, to its official athletes roster, putting one of the sport’s most decorated players alongside traditional athletes on a major eyewear brand’s books. apEX announced the deal himself in a video posted to social media on 11 June 2026, and it lands in the same week as a separate sponsorship for one of his Vitality teammates.
Proud to announce that I’m joining the @oakley Athletes roster!
Clarity, focus, vision.
That’s what made the difference. And that’s what will define the next chapter. pic.twitter.com/k3gv1am3kQ
— Dan Madesclaire (@Vitality_apEX) June 10, 2026
One of Counter-Strike’s Most Decorated Players
apEX is a four-time Major champion and one of the most decorated players in Counter-Strike history, and he serves as the in-game leader and captain of Team Vitality’s CS2 roster. That pedigree is what makes him an unusual signing for a mainstream sports apparel brand, since few active CS2 players sit on the official athlete rosters of non-endemic companies of Oakley’s size.
Oakley’s Growing Counter-Strike Presence
The apEX deal builds on Oakley’s recent push into Counter-Strike, following its two-year apparel and product partnership with Brazilian organisation FURIA. apEX himself already holds a separate gear partnership with gaming monitor brand ZOWIE, and his Oakley signing comes hot on the heels of teammate ZywOo announcing his own ambassador partnership with GPU giant NVIDIA GeForce earlier in the same week.
The result is back-to-back individual sponsorships landing at a single organisation within days, a sign that mainstream brands are increasingly treating top-tier CS2 players on the same commercial footing as traditional sports athletes.