Turns out that “ESPORTS ARE THE FUTURE” guy in the comments section knew what he was talking about.

Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the Flyers, Wings, and Fusion, is building the United States’ very first esports arena in South Philadelphia, where Carpe and his boys will one day become “world fucking champions” in the Overwatch League.

From NBC 10:

The 3,500-seat, $50 million Fusion Arena will play host to local professional team Philadelphia Fusion — already owned by Comcast Spectacor. “This will be the first ground-up [esports] facility in the western hemisphere,” Spectacor Chief Business Officer Joe Marsh said. The 60,000 square-foot arena, slated to open in 2021, also will feature a training facility and represents another revenue stream in the ever-expanding competitive gaming ecosystem.

Groundbreaking on the 47-acre site is set for this summer, and here’s where the arena will go, after the jump:

Can’t wait to add more traffic to an already stuffed parking lot!

My first reaction to this was total despair, since I did the Union beat for eight seasons and now I’m realizing that the video game team is going to have a Philadelphia stadium while the soccer team remains stuck in Chester. The video game team has a great owner and is getting a brand new arena, while the Union have a terrible owner and a terrible arena location.

Waahhhhh.

Also, can you imagine what it’s gonna be like when the Fusion crowd and Phillies crowd converge on the sports complex at the same time? It’ll be a bunch of grown men with calf tattoos wearing Chase Utley shirseys, crossing paths with a bunch of grown men who are dressed up as Dragonball Z characters, or whatever people cosplay as in 2019.

But on a serious note, esports is the real deal. You see the huge crowds that come out to these events. The Fusion basically filled Xfinity Live for the season opener watch party a few weeks back. I know a lot of folks who are in their twenties or their early thirties who watch Overwatch League in addition to the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and Sixers. So whatever man, it is what it is. If people can get down with all of that at the same time, I say we welcome them in as “five for five” Philadelphia sports fans.

I’m gonna swallow my pride and throw my support behind the Philadelphia fusion, because they’re our guys. Let’s get it.

Edit: I forgot to add the other pictures –