Philly is one of only 11 cities in the world to have a franchise in the the official Overwatch League.
Bearing orange and black as their official colors, the Philadelphia Fusion is a group of 12 esports players hailing from nine countries who rep Philly in the first-person survival game. Thursday night, the team will square off against the Houston Outlaws in their first official match of the league.
The Fusion are owned by Comcast Spectacor, the Comcast division that also owns the Philadelphia Flyers. The company announced this week that 27-year-old Tucker Roberts, son of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, and his wife, Aileen Roberts, will lead the franchise.
Streamed live from the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, Philly Overwatch fans can get a first peek at the team at a watch party happening tonight at 5:00 p.m. at Wahoos on 32nd and Chestnut.
Our official Philly watch party starts 5PM (EST) on Thursday at @wahoosphilly at 3180 Chestnut St. Giveaways, food specials, and gaming rigs hosted by @N3rdStGamers. Retweet and comment on which Fusion player you’re most excited about for a chance to win a shirt now! pic.twitter.com/uTrvThzvhk
— Seoul Infernal (@Infernal) January 8, 2018
“Comcast Spectacor is proud to bring the Fusion to the Overwatch League and the city of Philadelphia,” Tucker Roberts said in a press release. “We understand the types of teams that Philly fans fall in love with, and we have built the Fusion’s roster to match that same spirit.”
For now, though it bears the Philly name, the Fusion will remain L.A.-based with the other teams in the league. By the second or third year, matches are expected to shift to each franchise’s hometown.
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