Comcast Spectacor this morning announced the name, logo and colors for the Philadelphia Fusion, the new team competing in the Overwatch League next season. The "Fusion" name comes from the word's origin, which surrounds the process of entities coming together to create a new whole that generates power and heat (Fusion). NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA's Ryan Bright notes utilizing "orange and black, the Fusion will match the Flyers, also owned by Comcast Spectacor, in colors and logo simplicity" (NBCSPORTS.com, 11/1).
SPITTING IMAGE: In London, Hannah Dwan reports the Overwatch team based there will be "called London Spitfire." The team is owned by Cloud9 and CEO Jack Etienne. With their team colors "being a mix of blue and orange (conveniently, the colours of Cloud9’s existing South Korean Overwatch team Cloud9 KongDoo), and a shield-like logo ... they’ll be the only team from Europe competing in this year’s Overwatch League." The reasoning behind the name is "hopefully somewhat obvious, referencing the Spitfire’s place in British history." It is "also relevant to the story behind Overwatch’s Tracer, who hails from London as an RAF pilot." Cloud9 President Dan Fiden "confirmed that this is also part of a push for Cloud9 as an organisation to cement a place in Europe." With London Spitfire, they are "looking to create both a social space and arena for future European Cloud9 endeavours somewhere in London." A Cloud9/London Spitfire arena is "in the works to be built" for the '19 Overwatch League season (London TELEGRAPH, 11/1).
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT: In Houston, Jack Witthaus reported the city's Overwatch team will be called the Outlaws. A spokesperson said that its logo was a "collaboration between the Houston Outlaws and the Overwatch development team." The star "represents the team's pride in being a part of the Lone Star State" while the revolvers forming a longhorn skull shows the "strength of the team and the city it represents" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/31). The green in the team's colors is a signature shade for Outlaws parent organization OpTic Gaming (Overwatch).
WHERE'S RUSSELL CROWE? Sources confirmed the L.A. Overwatch franchise owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment will be known as the Gladiators (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).
