Philadelphia Overwatch League Team Is Getting A $50M Arena

Overwatch League’s Philadelphia Fusion has revealed its plan to take up residence in the very first purpose-built esports arena in the Western hemisphere. The arena is a $50 million venue that will house the team amidst those of the Eagles, the Flyers, the Phillies, and the 76ers.

The Fusion Arena, which boasts a size of 60,000 square feet, is hailed as a “next-generation esports and entertainment venue” that can welcome around 3,500 spectators. Along with the Overwatch League, the arena is also expected to offer “live entertainment programming and experiences.”

From an external perspective, the arena is heavily inspired by the meteoric rise of the hardware powering esports across the world. The arena will feature 2,000 square feet of interactive media platform that strategically hangs 30 feet above the entry area. Inside it are two balcony bars, lounge box and suite seating, as well as a broadcast studio, dedicated training facility, and team offices.

According to Blake Cordish, the Xfinity Live! developer at The Cordish Companies, the Fusion Arena is going to set the “gold standard” in competitive gaming. Even more so, it is going to debut as one of the most exciting platforms for sports and entertainment in the country amid Philadelphia’s very own professional sports teams.

Cordish added that the announcement is an exciting moment for the partnership between the Comcast Spectacor and his company. This is most especially the case since the next phase of Xfinity Live! is expected to unfold anytime soon.

Comcast Spectacor, the owner of Fusion, did not really reveal when the doors are set to open. However, the Overwatch League announced earlier this month that full home-and-away play will start sometime in 2020. Technically, a full home-and-away play means that teams will play in their home cities instead of sharing the Blizzard Arena.

The sports and entertainment architecture company, Populous, is responsible for designing the Fusion Arena. The firm is also known for designing the London Olympics stadium and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.