Most teams have been opting to stagger out their roster announcements, but the Philadelphia Fusion were kind enough to bless their fanbase with a hype video that listed all their players for the 2020 season. The Fusion’s core remains mostly intact, with a couple of additions such as Kyungbo “Alarm” Kim and Jun-ho “Fury” Kim. Although the Fusion dropped both Alberto “neptuNo” González and Josh “Eqo” Corona, fans were pleasantly surprised to see Eqo return. Overall, things look great for the Fusion next season. However, there is one glaring issue that has many fans concerned: lack of a second main tank.

The Sado Situation

Despite what is, unfortunately, a widespread belief within the community, Su-min “SADO” Kim is not the worst main tank in the league. Frustration among Philadelphia fans increased rapidly this season as the Fusion struggled hard with GOATS. Many were confused as the team let their Reinhardt specialist Joona “Fragi” Laine rot on the bench in favor of SADO. The lack of transparency from the organization about this decision left many feeling angry. As a result, SADO received the brunt of that outrage.

SADO is a fantastic Winston player, and most of the Philadelphia Fusion’s more successful plays last season were when they ran a Winston variation of GOATS. However, being good at one character puts the Fusion’s tank line at a severe disadvantage. Even with the latest patch notes, many are theorizing that Orisa will continue to reign supreme despite the nerfs to her shield health. To prepare for this, Philly should find a more well-rounded main tank if they want to be successful next season. Luckily for the Fusion, there is an abundance of great main tanks out there for them to choose from.

Contenders Favorites

There are three main tanks within the Contenders scene that would be a perfect fit for the Philadelphia Fusion. All three have proven to be top tier players with aggressive playstyles that would pair wonderfully with the Fusion’s wild ways. Chang-sik “ChangSik” Moon, is already a familiar face within the Fusion community. He is the current main tank for Fusion University and is one of the few members remaining on FUNI’s roster at the moment. ChangSik already has experience playing within a mixed roster, which gives him a significant advantage when considering the possible routes that the Fusion could take.

Another excellent option for the Fusion would be Runaway’s Tae-sung “Mag” Kim. He is easily one of the most entertaining and exciting Reinhardt players to watch in the scene. He’s also got a decent Orisa under his belt. However, most fans would prefer if he stays with his current teammates because of the family-like atmosphere that the Runaway organization has become well-known for. With various rumors circulating that the Florida Mayhem have picked up most of Runaway’s players, it makes sense that the Fusion would miss out on Mag.

In Mag’s stead, the Fusion should consider Sang-hoon “Kaiser” Ryu. Kaiser is an exceptional main tank that can play both Reinhardt and Orisa with ease. He currently plays for O2 Blast, one of the top teams in Korean Contenders. Many have been calling for Kaiser to join the League for years. He has a lot of experience under his belt and could be the strong leader that Fusion needs for next season.

World Cup Standouts

Despite Blizzard’s best efforts otherwise, many viewers tuned in to watch this year’s World Cup. Production issues aside, most fans walked away impressed with the fresh talent at this year’s competition. The 2019 World Cup saw many new teams, like Team Netherlands and Team Denmark, rise to the occasion. Both had incredible main tanks in Daniël Vincentius Paulus Scheltema, aka “daans,” and Anders “Henningsen.” Either daans or Henningsen would be solid picks for the Fusion because of their skills on Orisa and Wrecking Ball. However, their more reserved playstyles might not mesh well with how the Fusion currently operate.

There is one standout player that would be a perfect fit for the Philadelphia Fusion: Simon “Chubz” Vullo. Team France came into this World Cup determined to show what they were made of after falling early to Team Canada last year. Chubz especially impressed on Wrecking Ball. Having another French player on the team would be beneficial considering Gael “Poko” Gouzerch is returning next season. Although Poko opted out of playing on Team France this year due to health reasons, one can be sure he will come back next season more determined than ever to show what he’s got. Having a main tank that he can easily communicate with would be a massive bonus for the team.

Perhaps, A Titan

More like a family than a team, the Titans came into the Overwatch League as a singular unit. A generation from the Runaway dynasty, the Titans barreled their way to the top of the league during Stage 1. They maintained their presence as one of the top teams throughout the season. Making it into the Grand Finals, the Titans struggled against the Bastion compositions that the San Francisco Shock had prepared for them. Despite ending the season on a sad note, the Titans had an immensely successful season, and a lot of that success came from their team’s natural chemistry.

Their family-like bond is why many considered the Titans to be unbreakable during the off-season. However, the Titans have decided to part ways with Jang-hyeon “TiZi” Hwang. It is also rumored that Vancouver are looking to trade Sang-beom “Bumper” Park as well. If rumors are correct, the Titans planning to put their trust in Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek, formerly of the Seoul Dynasty and Los Angeles Gladiators.

Sources: Former Seoul Dynasty Main Tank Chan-Hyung "Fissure" Baek has come out of retirement and signed with the Vancouver Titans. Fissure's contract with Seoul ran out this off season, meaning that they no longer held the right to his contract. He was a Free Agent — Arran “Halo” Brown (@haloofthoughts) November 7, 2019

Titan’s Loss, Fusion’s Potential Gain

This is a confusing move for most fans. In most aspects, both Tizi and Bumper outclass Fissure in the role of main tank. While Fissure is an exceptional Winston, his notorious diva personality has followed him throughout his Overwatch League career. Known for being difficult to work with, many are worried about how the Titans will function next season. However, the Fusion could profit off this choice by investing in Tizi or Bumper.

Both are amazing players. Bumper especially would fit in well with the Fusion due to his aggressive playstyle. However, Bumper was only able to play as aggressively as he was because he had more than enough support from his backline to follow up his insane charges into battle. While the Fusion’s support line is looking stacked next season with Alarm, Daniel “FunnyAstro” Hathaway, and Isaac “Boombox” Charles, Bumper might be a tad bit too wild for Philly to handle. The safer bet would be with Tizi, who, while also aggressive, makes a more conscious effort to move more cohesively with his teammates.

Conclusion

Any of the tanks listed in this article would make great additions to the Fusion’s 2020 lineup. With a new head coach in Dong-gun “KDG” Kim, the Fusion should not be repeating their mistakes from last season. Fans expect the Fusion’s notorious bench to become a thing of the past because of his history on Seoul Dynasty. KDG has a lot of experience developing two competent, alternating rosters under one roof. With how much traveling players are expected to do next season, the Fusion should gain a lot of depth under KDG’s command. Securing a second main tank would strengthen the Fusion’s already great looking chances next season, and fans are hopeful to see another pickup in the future.

As a reminder, all of the current offseason changes will be continuously updated in TGH’s Complete List of Overwatch League Offseason Moves.

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