Fusion trade HOTBA

The Philadelphia Fusion have announced that Hong-Jun “HOTBA” Choi has been traded to Guangzhou, one of the new expansion teams for season two of the Overwatch League.

Known as an off tank, HOTBA’s D.VA and Zarya are his most effective characters. His switch to Tracer in map four of the first quarterfinal against the Boston Uprising is hailed as one of the most surprising moments during the first season’s playoffs.

The Fusion started playing HOTBA in stage four after Su-Min “SADO” Kim’s 30-game ban was lifted for boosting prior to his being signed in the Overwatch League. Coaches thought playing HOTBA and SADO together would be ideal given their shared South Korean roots and their ability to communicate effectively.

Philadelphia finished in sixth place in stage four, but progressed to the playoffs with their overall seasonal record. The side ultimately finished in second place at the Grand Finals, where they fell to the London Spitfire.

This is the third announcement from the Fusion in the postseason. The first was a release of three players, George “ShaDowBurn” Gushcha, Jeong-hwan “Dayfly” Park, and Joe “Joemeister” Gramano. Next came the signing of support player Elijah Hudson “Elk” Gallagher to the team in a two-way contract with the Fusion University, the Philadelphia Fusion’s Contenders team.

Guangzhou is an expansion team that was announced to be joining for next season. The franchise hasn’t yet announced a roster, with the signing of HOTBA being the first to be revealed. Guangzhou is one of three new Chinese teams, along with Chengdu and Hangzhou.