Fusion Arena

Fusion Arena is the placeholder name for a planned esports arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Plans for the arena were announced on March 25, 2019.[1] The arena will be home to the Philadelphia Fusion of the Overwatch League (OWL) and was originally planned to open prior to the 2021 OWL season.[4]

Fusion Arena
Fusion Arena
Location in Philadelphia
Fusion Arena
Location in Pennsylvania
Fusion Arena
Location in the United States
LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates39°54′13.0″N 75°10′59.6″W
Public transit NRG station:
  Broad Street Line
SEPTA bus: 4, 17
OwnerComcast Spectacor
TypeArena
Capacity3,500 (planned)[1]
Construction
Broke groundSeptember 25, 2019[2]
OpenedTBD (delayed)
Construction cost$50 million[1]
ArchitectPopulous[1]
Project managerThe Cordish Companies[3]
Tenants
Philadelphia Fusion (OWL)
Website
www.fusionarenaphilly.com

Construction is currently paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

History

On December 12, 2018, the Overwatch League (OWL), an esports league based on Blizzard Entertainment's 2016 first-person shooter Overwatch, announced the addition of "Homestand Weeks," weeks of games played in cities other than Burbank, California, where all 2018 OWL games were played, for their second season as an effort to push the league towards a full home-and-away schedule.[6] On March 15, 2019, then-OWL commissioner Nate Nanzer tweeted that all teams would have home venues for the 2020 season.[7][8] On March 25, Comcast Spectacor announced plans to build Fusion Arena, the "largest new-construction, purpose-built esports arena in the Western Hemisphere," adjacent to Xfinity Live!.[1] Fusion Arena was subsequently added to Comcast's $250 million "Transformation 2020" project, a project to renovate the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which includes Xfinity Live!, Lincoln Financial Field, Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park, and the surrounding area.[9]

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 25, days before the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals took place at the Wells Fargo Center.[2] OWL commissioner Pete Vlastelica, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney, Fusion players and representatives of Comcast Spectacor participated in the ceremony.[10]

On September 21, 2020, Comcast Spectacor announced a pause in construction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and that the opening of the arena would likely be delayed.[5]

Planning and design

Conceptual images for Fusion Arena were released on March 25, 2019.[1] The 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) arena will be built on 47 acres (19 ha) next to Xfinity Live! on 11th Street in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.[4] The arena will be constructed by Populous.[9] The arena will have two balcony bars, seats with USB ports, boxes and suites. It is expected to hold 3,500 people. 10,000 square feet (930 m2) will be used for a training facility, broadcast studio and team offices.[9]

References
  1. "Comcast Spectacor, The Cordish Companies Announce Next-Gen Esports Arena for Philadelphia". Comcast Corporate. March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  2. "Officials Break Ground On Historic New Fusion Arena In South Philadelphia". KYW-TV. September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  3. "Fusion Arena". The Cordish Companies. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  4. "Comcast Spectacor to build $50M arena for Fusion". ESPN.com. March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  5. "Philly esports arena construction delayed by COVID-19". Reuters. September 21, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  6. "Overwatch League's 2019 Schedule Reveals Home Games for Dallas, Atlanta, and L.A." Dot Esports. December 12, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  7. Nanzer, Nate (March 15, 2019). "The @overwatchleague is coming home - and away! Starting in 2020, all Overwatch League teams will be playing in their home cities. We're super excited to see our original vision brought to life. Thanks to all of our fans for your amazing support!". Twitter. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  8. "Overwatch League teams moving to home cities in 2020". Dot Esports. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  9. Kern, Reina (March 25, 2019). "Newest Esports arena to become the home of the Philadelphia Fusion". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  10. Wolf, Jacob (September 25, 2019). "Ground broken for new Fusion Arena in Philadelphia, set to open in 2021". ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
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