- Comcast Spectacor has announced plans to erect a $50M USD arena for the Philadelphia Fusion.
- Fusion Arena will house 3,500 people and open for the Overwatch League (OWL) 2021 season.
- This is the first dedicated esports team arena to be built in the Western Hemisphere.
Overwatch League 
team Philadelphia Fusion will be the first to receive its own, purpose-built esports arena in the Western Hemisphere. Comcast Spectacor announced the plans for Fusion Arena on Monday, stating that it would be available for the Overwatch League 2021 season.
Fusion Arena will be located in Southern Philadelphia inside the Xfinity Live! dining and entertainment complex. The 3,500 seat, 60,000-square-foot space will house a 10,000 square-foot dedicated training facility as well as a 6,000-square-foot public entry area featuring a 2,000 square feet interactive media surface.
Introducing Fusion Arena: a $50 million first-of-its-kind venue and the largest new-construction, purpose-built esports arena in the Western Hemisphere. It will be home to the Philadelphia @Fusion & stand alongside the home venues of Philly’s beloved teams in the Sports Complex pic.twitter.com/ckxEiYxgLW
— Comcast Spectacor (@ComcstSpectacor) March 25, 2019
The new training facility features a broadcast studio, office space, VOD review spaces, private streaming areas for players, and an exclusive player lounge, according to Joe Marsh, chief business officer for Spectacor Gaming and Philadelphia Fusion.
Despite representing different cities, all OWL teams have played at the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles since the program launched. The idea has always been to have each team play home and away games in a schedule akin to traditional sports—a plan finally coming together for the 2020 season.
Related Article: Overwatch League Full Home-and-Away Schedule Launching in 2020
All teams will be required to play half of their games in their respective home cities and the other half on the road. While the move creates new challenges, it also opens new possibilities such as ticket sales and more accurate fan metrics.
Fusion won’t be able to use their new $50M home for a while, so the team is exploring temporary spaces for the 2020 season, Marsh explained.
Once the arena is built, half of Fusion’s games will be “away.” When the team isn’t using Fusion Arena either in the off-season or while on the road, the space will host amateur, collegiate, and professional esports events. It will also open its doors to comedy acts, TED talks, and concerts.
Marsh cites Philadelphia as a prime gaming hub, as it is able to capture the West Coast and European markets from a broadcast perspective.
Time will tell whether other OWL teams receive their own venues or if they will team up with existing ones in their home towns. A full schedule will be released later this year that reveals when and where all 20 teams will play. The 2020 Overwatch League season runs from mid-February to August.
