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On Wednesday, Comcast Spectacor and its real estate partner The Cordish Companies held an event to commemorate the groundbreaking of Fusion Arena – a $50M+ USD purpose-built esports venue that will serve as the home arena for the city’s Overwatch League team, the Philadelphia Fusion. The arena will be built on the grounds of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which houses Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles), Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies), Xfinity Live!, and the Wells Fargo Center, which will host the OWL Grand Finals this weekend.
Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney and members of the city council were in attendance for the event as well as OWL Commissioner Pete Vlastelica and executives from Comcast Spectacor, The Cordish Companies, and Populous (the firm responsible for the design of the Fusion Arena).
“Today’s celebration marks an important milestone for our partnership as the next phase of development commences adjacent to Xfinity Live! in the heart of the Philadelphia Sports Complex,” said The Cordish Companies principal Blake Cordish. “Fusion Arena will debut as a state-of-the-art, world-class venue in an unparalleled location amid Philadelphia’s beloved professional sports teams.”
Fusion Arena will feature a 3,500-seat auditorium along with balcony bars, club suits, lodge boxes, and private suites. Spectacor Gaming and Philadelphia Fusion Chief Business Officer Joe Marsh said on a panel at the event that the arena’s design was heavily inspired by esports venues he visited in South Korea. The construction will also include 10,000 square feet dedicated to a training facility sponsored by Xfinity known as the “Xfinity Training Center,” broadcast studios, and team offices.
Similar to traditional sports facilities, Fusion Arena is planned to host an array of entertainment events such as concerts and comedy acts, in addition to esports events.
The arena is set to open early in 2021. Next year, the Philadelphia Fusion, along with all other OWL teams, will host a series of homestand weekends in the city. Venues for those events have not yet been announced.
