If there is one Japanese developer and publisher that has performed very well over the past few years, that's Cygames.

While they used to be relatively obscure a while ago (after all, the company has been founded in 2011), they made an absolute killing with their mobile game Granblue Fantasy, followed by Shadowverse, which allowed them to expand to consoles, with the upcoming Granblue Fantasy Project Re: Link (developed by PlatinumGames) and Project Awakening. Of course, they're still working on mobile as well, with projects like Lost Order, directed by Yasumi Matsuno and also developed by PlatinumGames.

Just a few months ago, they joined the esports arena by founding its own team Cygames Beast, with players of the caliber of Street Fighter maestro Daigo Umehara. Yet, they're not done, as they just entered the pitch of real life sports, soccer (or football if you're in Europe), to be precise.

Today the company announced that it signed an official sponsorship deal with Italy's strongest club (depending on who you ask, but they did win this year's national league), Juventus. For a Japanese developer and publisher that almost no one knew five years ago, that's a pretty big deal.

Cygames' logo will be the first to ever appear on the back of the club's jerseys, and the deal will last three years. I can't even start to imagine how much money passed hands for this, but I can guarantee that it's a whole lot of cash, showing once more the solidity of Cygames' financial position. It also gives the developer and publisher massive visibility outside of the usual gaming circles.

The press release accompanying the announcement included a comment by Cygames president Koichi Watanabe, who shared his excitement for the deal:

“We’re excited and honoured to have signed an agreement to become an Official Juventus Sponsor. The Cygames logo will appear on the back of the official Juventus jerseys for all domestic games and friendly matches.

This partnership was written in the stars, as both of our brands are defined by the same two colours: black and white. Moreover, Juventus and Cygames share the same mission – to entertain people all over the world while conveying positive values.”

Juventus Co-Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Global Partnerships and Corporate Revenues Giorgio Ricci also commented:

"This is a significant milestone for Juventus with a sponsor now appearing on the back of its shirts for the very first time. The chance to form a partnership with a company of such international prestige played a great role in our decision-making to sign this deal and so it’s with pride that we welcome Cygames to the Juventus sponsorship family. We share the same vision in that we both want to achieve excellence on a global level.

This is a strategic partnership for Juventus, because it allows the club to penetrate the Japanese market and strengthen its standing in Asia. The fact that Cygames is a leading company in the entertainment sector demonstrates the close proximity between Juventus’ image and experience-based assets.

The Juventus jersey is an important symbol for 300 million people around the world. This partnership gives us strength and a profound sense of pride as we approach another season packed with challenges."

Alongside with the announcement, we also get a trailer showing the new Jersey.