We now know the names of both sides in the forthcoming Overwatch derby and so it’s time to decide which side you’re on; Los Angeles Valiant or (drum roll please) Los Angeles Gladiators.
Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced the name of their Overwatch League franchise today. The team will wear purple and white jerseys, ‘following the dress of the Roman emperors to whom gladiators dedicated their battles’, and their hero is Reinhardt.
Josh Kroenke, Co-founder of KSE Esports and President of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche said: “Gladiators were the original superstars of sports and entertainment. Their fierce competitiveness and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice captured the hearts of millions of people of all backgrounds for centuries. Those epic battles became the foundation for modern day sports. Their impact still resonates on the silver screen, with scores of films chronicling the rise of the gladiators and their importance to societies of yesteryear.
“It’s with that spirit in mind that we chose GLAdiators as the name for Los Angeles’ newest professional team.”
KSE Esports was co-founded quite recently in August 2017 by the Kroenkes with the purpose being to invest in esports industry. “Los Angeles is not only the sports and entertainment capital of the world, but it’s also becoming one of the great tech corridors,” said Josh Kroenke. “That’s why we think this is the perfect city to launch our esports business and the GLAdiators. The growing global popularity of Overwatch and the unparalleled history of Blizzard will allow us to connect with gamers throughout the world. We look forward to the upcoming season and introducing new fans to the esports phenomenon.”
As mentioned, the previously announced Los Angeles OWL team is Los Angeles Valiant. This is the Immortals backed franchise, and it’ll be interesting to see which garners the bigger following. With LA as the host city of the season’s matches, specifically at the Blizzard Arena in Burbank, we can hope for something of a derby atmosphere at the Valiant vs Gladiators fixtures.
The season kicks off on January 10th 2018 and runs through June, with the playoffs and final set for July. Misfits also announced their franchise today, Florida Mayhem, meaning we now know the names of all the Overwatch League teams. Check in at ESI next week for a comprehensive recap.
Esports Insider says: This week alone we’ve seen franchise brand announcements from London, Houston, New York, Miami, and Philadelphia which means we now know the names of all the Overwatch League orgs.Everybody loves a derby and so we look forward to a fierce rivalry being created between the LA Valiant and LA Gladiators.