HK Army

HK Army is an American paintball equipment and apparel company which dates its founding to 2007. It developed from the Hostile Kids, a Southern California tournament team active during the early 2000s. The business began with custom headbands and clothing before expanding into playing equipment, paintballs and branded paintball markers.[1][2][3]

HK Army's growth included professional team sponsorships, promotional films, tournament organisation and acquisitions. It acquired Pinokio Hoppers in 2018 and announced the acquisition of the Valken brand in October 2026.[4][5]

The company is based in Long Beach, California. According to its official company history, its products are distributed in more than 60 countries.[1][6]

History

Hostile Kids origins

The initials HK came from Hostile Kids. In an account republished in 2008, Alex Fraige recalled encountering the team at SC Village in early 2002. Former captain Alex Cadalso traced its origins to a youth tournament organised by Hostile Takeover at Tombstone Paintball in Corona, California. Scott Kressin, Mark Kressin and Steve Nabi won that event and adopted the Hostile Kids identity.[2]

The team subsequently recruited additional players and competed in tournament paintball. Fraige's account described its eventual break-up as members were recruited by professional teams.[2]

In a 2012 interview, former player Cassidy Sanders recalled returning to paintball after several years away and finding that former teammates had developed HK Army into a clothing business. He then contributed his filmmaking skills to the company.[7]

Headbands and the early business

HK Army's official history identifies 2007 as the company's founding year. A retrospective in Paintball Media Magazine describes its initial products as custom headbands and apparel.[1][3]

Mark Kressin, known as Mr. H, identifies himself as a co-founder of HK Army.[8][9]

Contemporary evidence of the early business survives in reports from the 2008 Bears Cup tournament series. A post published by organiser Bear D'Egidio on 10 March 2008 described a booth for HK Army clothing and pbFashion headgear. It identified Mark Kressin at the booth and recorded the attendance of Hollywood HK with its tour bus.[10]

Online video and brand identity

During the early 2010s, HK Army promoted its products through tournament films featuring both competition and activity away from the field. Sanders's work provided a direct connection between the original Hostile Kids players and the company's media output. In his 2012 interview, he discussed filming for HK Army, using DSLR cameras and setting paintball footage to music.[7]

One documented example was the company's film of the 2011 PSP World Cup, released in February 2012. Filmed and edited by Sanders, it combined footage of play with scenes away from the field.[11]

HK Army and pbFashion also became associated with Agg, the paintball subculture concerned with playing style, clothing and appearance. Contemporary commentary in Social Paintball discussed that association and recorded the brands' promotion of paintball at music events including Warped Tour.[12]

Equipment and professional sponsorship in 2012

By early 2012, HK Army was selling equipment beyond its original headwear and casual clothing. In February, Social Paintball reported the introduction of Shredder paintball cleats. The report also identified sponsorship relationships with San Diego Dynasty, Russian Legion and Arsenal.[13]

In May 2012, HK Army signed the professional team San Francisco Explicit. The arrangement included new playing jerseys and a redesigned team logo. Steve Nabi represented HK Army in the announcement, while Explicit owner Rob Montiero confirmed the relationship.[14]

On 4 November 2012, HK Army announced a two-year agreement with San Diego Dynasty covering the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The equipment specified in the agreement included Hardline jerseys, protective pads and playing trousers, Eject harnesses, gear bags, backpacks, speed feeds and Shredder cleats.[9]

The agreement also provided for Dynasty to test new products and collaborate on their development. Plans included Dynasty-branded merchandise sold through ANSgear and joint promotion of training sessions, Streetball events and professional player clinics.[9]

Goggles, loaders and tournament events

HK Army expanded into protective goggles with the KLR, announced in 2013. The product established a separate goggle range alongside the company's clothing, padding and accessories.[15]

In 2014, HK Army and Chuck Hendsch organised the Surf City Paintball Open at Huntington Beach after the National Professional Paintball League suspended its event programme. The standalone tournament offered two-player and five-player competition. Some planned divisions were cancelled because of low entry numbers, but the remaining competition went ahead on a field on the beach.[16]

The TFX electronic loader followed in 2015. A contemporary product report in the July issue of Paintball Magazine described its recent release, including a spring-loaded tray intended to move paintballs towards the feed mechanism and a design allowing maintenance without tools.[17]

By February 2016, HK Army offered a sponsorship programme for teams competing in the National Xball League. It combined custom jerseys, equipment packages and discounted tournament paint. Teams could arrange participation through local shops and fields as well as directly with HK Army.[18]

The programme included paint credits for qualifying teams finishing first or second at NXL events. It also offered opportunities for sponsored teams to appear in the company's photographs, event videos and social media coverage.[18]

Marker range and the Marq platform

HK Army marketed branded versions of established paintball markers as its equipment range expanded. These included private-label Shocker RSX models. On 10 August 2016, Shocker Paintball's recall of affected RSX markers included HK Army editions. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that the main chamber assembly could eject from the rear of the marker. Eight failures and no injuries had been reported, and a replacement chamber was offered without charge.[19]

In February 2017, Paintball Media reported that HK Army had recently acquired rights to the Marq marker platform associated with Bob Long. The report stated that HK Army intended to develop its own version of the design.[20]

Apparel business expansion

HK Army's experience producing paintball clothing also contributed to the development of the esports apparel business Meta Threads. In a 2017 interview, Meta Threads lead designer David Siqueiros identified HK Army as its parent company and described moving from designing custom paintball jerseys into clothing for esports teams. He explained that the businesses shared design approaches and overlapping audiences.[21]

Pinokio acquisition and marker collaborations

In 2018, HK Army acquired Pinokio Hoppers. The acquisition added established loader designs to its range, including the Pinokio Speed, which was subsequently sold as the HK Army Speed.[4]

The Speed was a pre-existing Pinokio product. Following the acquisition, it was marketed alongside HK Army's TFX loader range. A 2019 review also recorded its adoption by San Diego Dynasty.[4]

The company also continued working with other marker manufacturers. In 2019, its A51 Luxe X models used the underlying DLX Luxe X platform with distinctive body milling. A further A51 version was announced ahead of that year's NXL World Cup.[22]

In November 2019, HK Army and Planet Eclipse introduced the Invader CS2 Pro. The special edition used the CS2 Pro platform with a different body design and an HK-themed rear cap.[23]

Product development during the 2020s

HK Army reissued the original Pinokio hopper in 2020. That design used an optional front extension to increase its paintball capacity.[24]

The company continued developing its protective equipment. In May 2021, the SLR goggles were introduced as a successor to the KLR. Contemporary coverage described changes to the mask's ventilation, construction, rear strap support and chin strap.[25]

HK Army also remained involved in national tournament events. The NXL's report on its 2021 Mid-Atlantic Major identified the company among the event's major sponsors and exhibitors.[26]

By April 2024, HK Army was promoting the Alpha Air range of compressed-air systems for paintball and airsoft. The range included carbon-fibre-wrapped cylinders in several capacities, with the company's launch material emphasising reduced size and weight.[27]

Further goggle products included the skull-shaped Skull range, covered in Paintball Media Magazine in February 2025, and the RMX system, reviewed by BFPGear in November 2025. The RMX incorporated a flexible lower mask and a lens mechanism designed for changes without tools.[3][28]

By this period, the company's catalogue encompassed goggles, loaders, barrels, air systems, protective equipment, playing clothing, casual apparel and accessories. HK Army described its distribution as extending to more than 60 countries.[1]

Acquisition of the Valken brand

In October 2026, HK Army announced that it had acquired the Valken brand and become its exclusive worldwide manufacturer and distributor.[5]

The announcement stated that the company intended to develop Valken's paintball and airsoft activities. It also said that further announcements would follow during the week and at the NXL World Cup.[5]

References

About HK Army. HK Army, official company history. Accessed 27 October 2026.
From Street Rats to World Class Pros: The HK Army. Alex Fraige, including an interview with Alex Cadalso; republished by ThisISPaintball.ca, 12 May 2008.
HK Army Skull Paintball Goggles. Paintball Media Magazine, February 2025, p. 67.
HK Army Speed Review: Lightweight and Baby Tiny. Brad Johnson, Paintball Ruined My Life, 17 October 2019.
HK Army acquires Valken. HK Army, official Instagram announcement, October 2026.
Privacy Policy and Information. HK Army, official business address and company information. Accessed 27 October 2026.
Cassidy Sanders Interview. ProPaintball, February 2012; reproduced by Dave McAuley, 19 May 2012.
Mark Kressin. Public Threads profile identifying Kressin as an owner and co-founder of HK Army Inc. Accessed 27 October 2026.
Breaking News: Dynasty Signs with HK Army. Social Paintball, 4 November 2012.
HK Army Booth!. Bear D'Egidio, Bears Cup blog, 10 March 2008.
New HK Army Video: PSP World Cup 2011 Championship. Israel L., Social Paintball, 23 February 2012.
On Agglettes. Andrew Levick, Social Paintball, 20 January 2012.
HK Army Shredder Paintball Cleats and New PbFashion Video. Paul Forcier, Social Paintball, 9 February 2012.
Breaking News: HK Army Signs San Francisco Explicit, New Logo and Jersey. Israel L., Social Paintball, 8 May 2012.
Die HK Army KLR Paintball Maske bei Paintball Sports. Paintball Sports, historical product description. Accessed 27 October 2026.
HK Army Surf City Paintball Open. John Amodea, Paintball Media, 11 January 2015; report on the 2014 tournament.
New Product Spotlight: HK TFX Loader. Paintball Magazine, July 2015, p. 8.
HK Army NXL Team Sponsorships and Paint Deals. Paintball Media, 8 February 2016.
Shocker Paintball Recalls Paintball Markers Due to Risk of Injury. United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, 10 August 2016.
Dynasty Switches Guns. Paintball Media, 15 February 2017.
David Siqueiros: Meta Threads: We've seen a lot of new companies come up and do their own thing. Lydia Mitrevski, Esports Insider, updated 3 August 2017.
HK Army A51 Luxe X. Brad Johnson, Paintball Ruined My Life, 30 October 2019.
HK Army x Planet Eclipse Invader CS2 Pro Limitierte Edition. Paintball.de, 7 November 2019.
The Pinokio Hopper. Paint, historical account. Accessed 27 October 2026.
HK Army SLR Paintball Goggles. Brad Johnson, Paintball Ruined My Life, 5 May 2021.
2021 NXL Mid-Atlantic Major Event Recap. Quinn Nadu, National Xball League, 3 July 2021.
HK Army Alpha Air System. Popular Airsoft, 24 April 2024, reproducing HK Army product information.
First Look and Product Review: HK Army RMX Goggle System. Samuel Severson, BFPGear, 13 November 2025.

External links