Games won't be the only source of entertainment in the Philadelphia Sports Complex.
Add gaming to the list, too.
Comcast Spectator and The Cordish Companies have announced plans for a $50 million state-of-the-art Esports venue to be built in the Philadelphia Sports Complex, adjacent to XFINITY Live!
The arena will stand as the largest, purpose-built Esports arena in the Western hemisphere. It will seat up to 3,500 people, with 60,000 square feet of new construction and a futuristic design.
The venue will be called "Fusion Arena" and serve as the new home of the Philadelphia Fusion gaming franchise. Construction is set to begin this summer, according to the architecture firm Populous.
"We’re thrilled to introduce a venue like no other as we move forward with the next phase of development within the Philadelphia Sports Complex,” Dave Scott, chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor, said. "Fusion Arena gives Esports fans a best-in-class venue to call home and be proud of. Beyond competitive gaming, it’s a stunning facility that will host a wide array of events."
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Those involved with the building of Fusion Arena feel that the venue will help promote the gaming world, especially as its location is in one of the most popular sporting sites in the country.
“Fusion Arena will set the gold standard for competitive gaming and debut on one of the country’s most exciting platforms of sports and entertainment amid Philadelphia’s professional sports teams," Blake Cordish, principal of The Cordish Companies, said.
The facility will look to praise the history of Philadelphia, incorporating the use of industrial materials to pay tribute to the city's heritage as "the workshop of the world." The space will have a large public entryway with interactive media surfaces 30 feet above. Populous is aiming to take the designs of iconic sporting venues and apply them to the virtual world of gaming.
“This project places Esports alongside all the major traditional sports that call South Philadelphia home," Joe Marsh, chief business officer of Spectator Gaming and the Philadelphia Fusion, said.
Fusion Arena's seating will include two balcony bars, club seats with USB ports, loge boxes and exclusive suites. Ten-thousand feet will be set apart for the creation of a training facility, broadcast studio and team offices.
This news comes in the midst of the Wells Fargo Center's "Transformation 2020" initiative, a multi-year, $250 million renovation. Fusion Arena adds $50 million of new development to the Philadelphia Sports Complex.
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