Former Immortals’ creative director, Rob Lee, and former Team Liquid’s Counter-Strike coach, James O’Connor, teamed up to create a new esports organization in their hometown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Knights will field teams in different titles, host and organize tournaments, broadcast players through its new Paragonyx studio, and run a community space for fans to play games. What is most exciting about the new organization is that, in contrast to most esports teams around the world, it’s focusing on its hometown and will try to create a local fanbase.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]With 2.4 million inhabitants, Pittsburgh itself is not the biggest market, however, has a passionate sports community.[/perfectpullquote]

Most esports teams draw their fanbases from all around the world. With the exception of the Overwatch League teams–where a home city was mandatory–and a few organizations such as the Detroit Renegades, it is uncommon for a professional esports team to focus on one city. With 2.4 million inhabitants, Pittsburgh itself is not the biggest market, however, has a passionate sports community the Knights are trying to engage. The launch video begins with the city’s three professional sports teams (MLB’s Pirates, NFL’s Steelers, and NHL’s reigning champions Pittsburgh Penguins) and the co-founders refer to them when explaining their decision to set the focus on Pittsburgh.

“My grandmother, till the day she died at 96, watched every Penguins, Pirates and Steelers game and she was incredibly educated and opinionated on what should be happening. I know the dedication and expectations Pittsburgh has for their sports teams and I do not take that responsibility lightly,” says O’Connor.

O’Connor, popular for creating online tutorials to help new Counter-Strike players learn how to play the game, has in the past coached Area 51 Gaming, 4Nothing, Team Liquid, Team Prospects, and worked with NBA player Jonas Jerebko to relocate the Renegades from Los Angeles to Detroit.

His co-owner, Rob Lee, added: “We are the City of Champions. We want to continue that legacy, that rich history and add to it. We want to prepare Pittsburgh for the impending evolution of sports, and that’s esports.”

Lee began his esports career in 2014 as a video content producer for SK Gaming. He later worked as a team manager for Misfits, before joining Immortals as a creative director.

Since April the team has signed Super Smash Bros. and PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS players, while it is also sponsoring streamers competing mainly in League of Legends, PUBG and Heroes of the Storm. The organization will soon look to expand its operations to other games and field Overwatch, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike teams, and according to Lee, the first step could be the launch of an all-women CS:GO team.