MCHOSE spent heavily on hype and water armies — then the keyboards started breaking

MCHOSE (迈从) was launched in 2021 by Shenzhen Zhishi Intelligent Technology, targeting Gen Z with high-spec, low-price keyboards and mice. It grew rapidly through heavy KOL promotion on Bilibili and Douyin, reaching 3 million followers and 1.3 billion in brand exposure. The brand signed esports teams including FPX's Valorant division and claimed sales leadership across multiple categories.

The growth strategy relied on aggressive marketing. In January 2024, Keychron, VGN and Gravity Planet jointly issued a statement condemning a competitor's long-term water army campaign exposed by the Mechanical Keyboard Tieba. Industry observers and forum discussions identified the target as MCHOSE. VGN separately accused the brand of hiring water armies to attack competitors; MCHOSE responded by pointing at VGN's own quality and after-sales problems.

Product quality did not keep pace. Multiple models — Ace 68 magnetic-switch keyboard, K99, G87, Z75 — accumulated complaints on the Black Cat Complaints platform and forums: double-clicking, key chatter, switch chatter, connectivity failures. Customers reported warranty denials citing 'liquid ingress' and customer service that ignored or stonewalled them. A 2026 article on the Ace 68 series noted seven complaints in 30 days on the platform, five of which involved warranty denial.

By 2025, the brand's reputation was deeply polarised. A Bilibili documentary titled 'New Grudges, Old Scores, The Ultimate Mess' accumulated over 520,000 views. MCHOSE continued to sell and launch new products, but the gap between its marketing and its quality had become the story the brand was known for.

The brand's aggressive marketing and water-army tactics backfired, costing it reputation across China's peripheral market.

Heavy marketing investment created expectations the supply chain and quality control could not sustain at the brand's price point

The water-army strategy unified competitors against the brand rather than protecting its reputation

Aggressive cost targets left insufficient margin for quality assurance and customer service

The brand grew faster than its after-sales infrastructure, creating a backlog of unresolved complaints

When the gap between the marketed product and the actual product is wide enough, the marketing itself becomes the liability.