Earlier in August, it was widely speculated that Toronto would become one of the newest regions to receive an Overwatch League franchise slot for competition in the upcoming second season. The news was made official in the first week of September. Today, the team finally revealed its brand and name. We would like to introduce you to the Toronto Defiant.
Ownership and operations
The Toronto Overwatch organization is owned and operated by OverActive Media, a rapidly rising Canadian esports company with stakes in Enthusiast Gaming, as well as well-known pro gaming brand, Splyce Inc. Former CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Chris Overholt will serve as the team’s president and CEO.
A major position with a sporting organization should not be an unfamiliar role for Overholt. Prior to his placement as Chief Executive Officer with the COC, he also had high profile stints with several other major sports brands. He acted as Vice President of Sales and Services with MLSE, the company that owns the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also spent time as Executive Vice President of the Florida Panthers, as well as Vice President of the Miami Dolphins (and SunLife Stadium).
Splyce (formerly known as Follow eSports) was rebranded in 2015 and currently has teams competing in several major competitive games, including League of Legends, CSGO, Call of Duty, Hearthstone and Rocket League.
Paris and Atlanta join the party
Toronto’s brand reveal comes on the back of the Paris team’s roster unveiling as well as the Atlanta team’s brand announcement. The Paris team’s roster will consist of pro players SoOn, ShaDowBurn, NiCO, Danye, LhCloudy, BenBest, Finnsi, HyP, Kruise, and daemoN. The Atlanta roster will go with the name “Atlanta Reign.”
Roster reveal when?
It should be noted that Toronto has yet to officially announce its Overwatch roster. That announcement will come shortly, as the players are expected to be revealed at EGLX this weekend.
What we do know is that former coach of the London Spitfire organization, Beoumjun “Bishop” Lee will take charge as the team’s head coach.
Fans should be excited about Bishop’s involvement with the organization, as he was instrumental in building the Spitfire team that won the inaugural season’s championship.
As stated in a press release by the London Spitfire:
London Spitfire has today parted ways with coach Beom-joon “Bishop” Lee. Bishop was instrumental in the formation of the Spitfire line-up, finding two of the world’s best Overwatch rosters, GC Busan and KongDoo Panthera, and fusing them into a single unit which was crowned Overwatch League Stage 1 champions.
Stay tuned for any and all updates regarding the team in the coming days!
Daily Esports is owned and operated by Enthusiast Gaming, the company behind Destructoid, The Escapist and the EGLX expo. Enthusiast Gaming is an official partner of OverActive Media, the company that owns the Toronto Overwatch organization.
Published: Oct 24, 2018 07:19 pm