Pretty in Pink: Hangzhou Spark make big statement with their brand reveal

This week, Hangzhou Spark finally stepped out of the shadows and have confirmed their team logo, branding and team colors for the 2019 season of Overwatch League. The Chinese organization, backed by Bilibili eSports, an online entertainment platform, have also made their first official roster move as reported by several Chinese news sources with Xu “Guxue” Qiulin becoming the first Chinese player to sign to a new expansion team this offseason.

The bold color scheme for Hangzhou Spark has caused waves throughout the Overwatch community as many fans are eager to start using their pink, blue and white team colors as soon as possible.

Lighting a Spark

The Hangzhou Spark have made quite an impact with their logo unveiling this week. While some fans were left unimpressed by their rather simple logo, the consensus started to change once the hero skins were unveiled and their pink, blue and white color schemes stole the show.

The color scheme is a slight homage to the now disbanded RunAway as Hangzhou have taken inspiration from the Korean powerhouse’s logo and made it their own for the Overwatch League. While it doesn’t look like Hangzhou are picking up the rest of RunAway as part of their roster, the strong team colors and cultural impact that this team brings to the table is higher than ever before.

Starting with their first official signing, bringing a player like Guxue to their team speaks volumes as to where Hangzhou are looking to go in this season. Guxue was one of the most transcendent talents during his run at the World Cup Qualifiers and Knockout Stages, and he will surely be looking to continue that momentum as the rest of his team wait patiently to be announced.

As for the rest of the team, Hangzhou would be remiss if they didn’t at least try to pick up some of the standout teammates that Guxue dominated Overwatch Contenders with as part of LGD Gaming last year. Both he and Zheng “Shy” Yangjie are immediate candidates to round out this team if Hangzhou do decide to take the Chinese route with player recruitment. Ma “Lateyoung” Tianbin would also be a crucial pick up given his top tier performances for Team China in this last World Cup.

Beginning of a dynasty?

Bilibili eSports have become a juggernaut in the online gaming space and it seems like the conquest for more successful gaming organizations will continue in the Overwatch League. Bilibili also own the rights to another esports team out of the LPL for League of Legends, and at the moment it seems like Hangzhou’s parent company is on no short leash for structural growth given their huge financial backing from major companies like TenCent.

Just last month, Bilibili received a $317.6 million dollar investment from TenCent Holdings, possibly in relation to exploits that would involve the Hangzhou Spark. Where winning is concerned in the Overwatch League, money is always a determining factor and it seems like Hangzhou will have that resource in no short supply come next year.