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Comcast Spectacor to move Philadelphia Fusion to South Korea, rename Overwatch League team

Comcast Spectacor CEO Dave Scott said the franchise is “best positioned to succeed in Seoul” moving forward.

Philadelphia Fusion players are cheered by fans while playing in 2018. The Fusion's operations are moving to South Korea, and the team is changing its name to the Seoul Infernal.
Philadelphia Fusion players are cheered by fans while playing in 2018. The Fusion's operations are moving to South Korea, and the team is changing its name to the Seoul Infernal.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Updated 
    Published 

Goodbye, Philadelphia Fusion. We hardy knew you.

Comcast Spectacor announced Friday it was rebranding the Fusion, its Overwatch League team, as the Seoul Infernal. The new team name and identify will debut in the spring, when the regular season of the Overwatch League begins.

The Fusion, founded in 2017, have been operating in South Korea for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comcast Spectacor president and CEO Dave Scott said in a statement the franchise was “best positioned to succeed in Seoul” moving forward.

“We’re excited to begin this next chapter as the Seoul Infernal, and our team is proud to represent our current and future fans on the global stage,” Scott said.

The move will allow the team to share facilities with T1, the company’s League of Legends team that is co-owned by SK Telecom in South Korea. T1 has won three League of Legends world championships, and finished second this season.

Comcast Spectacor is also no longer planning to build a $50 million, 3,500-seat esports arena in South Philly next to Xfinity Live!, according to a spokesperson, citing the impact of the pandemic. Instead, the company is planning a smaller venue that could host esports games, concerts, and other events. The company didn’t provide a timeline for or other details about the multipurpose facility, other than to say it’s in the planning stage.

In addition to the Fusion, Comcast Spectacor owns the Philadelphia Flyers, the Wells Fargo Center, and Xfinity Live!.

The Overwatch League has 20 teams, half of which remain based in the United States — Atlanta Reign, Dallas Fuel, Florida Mayhem, Houston Outlaws, Los Angeles Gladiators, Los Angeles Valiant, New York Excelsior, San Francisco Shock, Vegas Eternal, and Washington Justice.

Several teams, including the Fusion, relocated their operations to South Korea due to the pandemic. But the Fusion are the first Overwatch League team to make the move permanent and rebrand their franchise.