The Overwatch League announced this morning that Toronto’s new team will be operated by its co-founder, Splyce. As is the norm for all OWL teams, Splyce will create new branding for the team that will be separate from that of the parent organization, but that branding hasn’t been revealed yet.
“The team has not been named yet,” Splyce CEO Marty Strenczewilk said. “That’s something we’re working on right now with the fine folks at the Overwatch League.”
FAM. 🐍🐍🐍https://t.co/diAxhHpLZt
— 🇨🇦 TorontoOWL (@TorontoOWL) September 7, 2018
Strenczewilk did say, though, that the team name and logo will “embody” the core values, cultural tenets and operational disciplines that Splyce has been known for. He added that more news will follow “pretty quickly” via the Toronto team’s new Twitter account.
Former Canadian Olympic Committee CEO Chris Overholt will assume the role of the team’s CEO and president.
“We’ll be working in lockstep together to bring this new Overwatch League franchise to market over the next many months, and cultivating it into a sports powerhouse that all of our fans will be proud of in the years that follow,” Strenczewilk said.
Toronto’s Overwatch League territory will reach beyond just the city itself. According to OverActive Media (Splyce’s parent organization) co-founder and director Adam Adamou, the team’s territory stretches into New York, specifically to Buffalo, Syracuse, and Splyce’s hometown of Rochester. Splyce did note, though, that the team will in fact be headquartered “right in the heart of Toronto.”
The Toronto team was one of six expansion franchises officially announced by the Overwatch League this morning. Other cities include:
- Chengdu, China
- Hangzhou, China
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Washington, D.C.
- Paris, France
Expansion teams in Atlanta, Georgia and Guangzhou, China were also confirmed earlier this summer, bringing the league’s total number of teams to 20 heading into its second season. The Overwatch League now has 13 North American teams, 11 in the United States and two in Canada; five Asian teams, four in China and one in South Korea; and two European teams, one in Paris and the other in London.
We still don’t have a lot of details regarding the Overwatch League’s second season, but league commissioner Nate Nanzer told Dot Esports that the front office has been collaborating with teams and players to discuss what worked in season one and what didn’t, saying the league is interested in making changes that appeal to fans as well as players.
More information about the league’s second season is expected “at a later date,” including details about the branding for the eight expansion teams.