Philadelphia Overwatch team getting $50m arena

The Overwatch League will soon move its competitions out of Los Angeles, and that means the league's 20 teams are going to need some place to host matches. The Philadelphia Fusion appears to have its new home all lined up, as Fusion owner Comcast Spectacor is building a $50 million arena for the team in South Philadelphia.

The Fusion Arena will seat 3,500 fans and reside at the Philadelphia Sports Complex that also houses the Wells Fargo Center (home to the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles), and Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies). The Fusion Arena will sit in the middle of those three larger venues, adjacent to the Xfinity Live entertainment center. Comcast Spectacor billed the Fusion Arena as "the largest new-construction, purpose-built esports arena in the Western Hemisphere."

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the venue is slated to open in early 2021. The Overwatch League currently hosts all of its regular season matches in Los Angeles at the Blizzard Arena, but is expected to begin holding events in its teams' host cities next year. The Inquirer reports that the Fusion will compete in temporary venues until its home arena is ready.

In addition to Fusion matches and other esports events, Comcast Spectacor expects to host everything from TED talks to K-pop concerts in the Fusion Arena, planning for a total of 120 events a year. It also is looking to sell naming rights to the venue.