Meet the Philadelphia Fusion.
Representing Philadelphia as one of the newest additions to a budding competitive eSports scene, the Fusion, owned by Comcast Spectacor, is the latest brand introduced for the inaugural season of Overwatch League beginning in December.
"We are thrilled to introduce the Philadelphia Fusion brand and team colors as we continue our exciting march toward the start of the season," said Dave Scott, president and CEO of Comcast Spectacor.
Utilizing orange and black, the Fusion will match the Flyers, also owned by Comcast Spectacor, in colors and logo simplicity.
"Orange and black are colors of passion here in Philadelphia," Scott said. "We are proud to incorporate them as we continue to formulate our coaching staff and roster of players."
As the company explains in its official release, the choice for the name Fusion was inspired by "distinct entities coming together to create a new whole that generates power and heat."
And that might be more than simple graphic design. Facing powerhouse teams such as the Dallas Fuel — made up of one of North America's most potent clubs, EnVyUs, and London Spitfire (which consists of South Korean Overwatch champions GC Busan) — the Fusion will ultimately need chemistry and team dynamic to excel.
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The team, being put together piece-by-piece, is expected to officially introduce its coaching staff and roster in the upcoming weeks.
The Fusion join the Boston Uprising, Fuel, San Francisco Shock, Seoul Dynasty, Spitfire, New York Excelsior, Los Angeles Valiant and Shanghai Dragons, as the first official brands introduced. The brands for Miami, Houston and a second Los Angeles team have yet to be announced.
Beginning preseason matches on Dec. 6, Overwatch League, which will feature 6-on-6 objective-based team play, officially kicks off its regular season on Jan. 10.
For those unfamiliar, Overwatch League is a geo-based eSports league made up of 12 teams from around the world. Unlike other eSports leagues which are typically made of up independent club teams not bound to a specific location, this one features teams representing particular cities around the globe with league-specific brands.
It's a new dynamic to mainstream eSports competition.
Overwatch League is also an infant compared to the industry. It's viewed as a long-term investment with extreme growth potential. Ownership groups, made up by the likes of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, New York Mets owner Jeff Wilpon, Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke and more, paid a reported $20 million or more to carve out a spot.
