Overwatch fans were stunned when Philadelphia Fusion announced it was rebranding ahead of the 2023 Overwatch League season. The team will change its name and branding, moving to South Korea as the Seoul Infernal.
According to an official press release, Comcast Spectacor said that the move would be happening immediately in an attempt to bring Fusion closer to T1, its sister organization also operated by Comcast Spectacor with SK Telecom.
“As we gear up for next season, we’ve been evaluating how we can best compete at a consistent, championship level, and we’ve realized that our franchise will be best positioned to succeed in Seoul,” said Dave Scott, president and CEO of Comcast Spectacor.
“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.”Â
While Fusion has been running out of South Korea over the past two years due to complications related to the ongoing health crisis and its connections to T1, the news was still met with frustration from Overwatch League fans.
The response to Fusion’s sudden rebrand was met with mixed feelings from the Overwatch community. Some felt that it was the right move logistically and were excited at the rebranding. Many Overwatch League teams showed support to Fusion.
But other fans felt almost betrayed by the esports team. Overwatch League is a franchise built on hometown hype, with each team representing a city similar to a sports team. This created a lot of loyalty and community around certain teams, including Fusion, which had a huge following in Philadelphia.
Other fans called out Blizzard, feeling that esports organizations weren’t given enough support to really thrive in their own cities. Over the past few years, many Overwatch League teams have been relocating due to travel logistics and have even been forming teams made up entirely of players outside of the country they allegedly represented.
Still, some loyal followers said they would remain fans of Fusion no matter what.
Fusion, or Seoul Infernal, will be unveiling new logos, jerseys, and other branding soon. So far, the new look has been a hit thanks to its bold and intense style. Meanwhile, the management, ownership, and player roster will remain the same.
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