2019 Philadelphia Fusion season

The 2019 Philadelphia Fusion season was the second season of the Philadelphia Fusion's existence in the Overwatch League and their first under co-head coaches Go Se-hwi and Elliot Hayes. They entered the season looking to bounce back after their 2018 Grand Finals loss to the London Spitfire.

2019 Philadelphia Fusion season
Head coach	Go Se-hwi Elliot Hayes
General manager	Yann Luu
Owner	Comcast Spectacor
Division	Atlantic
Results
Record	15–13 (.536)
Place	Atlantic: 4th League: 10th
Stage 1 Playoffs	Semifinals
Stage 2 Playoffs	Did not qualify
Stage 3 Playoffs	Did not qualify
Season Playoffs	Did not qualify
Total Earnings	$50,000
← 2018 Philadelphia Fusion 2020 →

The Fusion had a solid Stage 1 performance, finishing the stage with a 5–2 record and making it to the Stage 1 Playoffs, but they lost in the semifinals to the San Francisco Shock. After posting 3–4 and 4–3 records for Stage 2 and Stage 3, respectively, Philadelphia failed to qualify any other stage playoffs. A 3–1 victory over the Seoul Dynasty in their final regular season match gave the Fusion a 15–13 season record and qualified them for the Play-In Tournament. Philadelphia fell 2–4 to the Shanghai Dragons in the first round of the tournament, ending their hope of qualifying for the season playoffs.

Preceding offseason

Player re-signings and free agency

From August 1 to September 9, 2018, all Overwatch League teams that competed in the 2018 season could choose to extend their team's players' contracts. Fusion elected to release Georgii "ShaDowBurn" Gushcha, Park "DayFly" Jeong-hwan, and Joseph "Joemeister" Gramano.^[1]

All non-expansion teams could not enter the free agency period until October 8, 2018; they were able to sign members from their respective academy team and make trades until then. On September 25, Fusion promoted support player Elijah "Elk" Gallagher from Fusion University on a two-way contract.^[2] On October 17, Fusion transferred Choi "Hotba" Hong-jun to the new expansion team Guangzhou Charge.^[3]

Head coach change

In January, the Fusion announced that head coach Yann Luu would be acting as the organization's Director of Overwatch Operations. In his replacement, assistant coaches Elliot Hayes and Se-Hwi Go were promoted to co-head coaches.^[4]

Regular season

Philadelphia opened their season on February 14 against the London Spitfire – a rematch of the 2018 Overwatch League Grand Finals. Philadelphia went on to win the match by a score of 3–1.^[5] The team finished with a 5–2 Stage 1 record and a Stage 1 Playoff berth.^[6] At the end of Stage 1, the Fusion was tied with the Toronto Defiant for the third seed of the playoffs. By rule, the teams would have to compete in an offline match to determine seeding; however, both teams agreed on a coin-flip, instead. Philadelphia received the fourth seed and would take on the Atlanta Reign in the quarterfinals.^[7] The Fusion's quarterfinal match took place on March 22 against the Atlanta Reign; the Fusion won the match, 3–1, advancing them to the Stage 1 semifinals.^[8] In the semifinals, Philadelphia was swept, 0–4, by the San Francisco Shock.^[9]

In Stage 2, on April 19, the Fusion defeated the Houston Outlaws, 4–0, marking their first 4–0 sweep of the 2019 season.^[10] The team finished the stage with a 3–4 record and did not qualify for the Stage 2 Playoffs.

In the last week of Stage 3, the Fusion headed to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta to play at the "Atlanta Reign Homestand Weekend"; Philadelphia's final match of the stage was against the Shanghai Dragons. With both teams holding a 4–2 record in Stage 3, the winner of the match would qualify for the final spot in the Stage 3 Playoffs. The Fusion were unable to pull out the win, however, and fell in the match by a score of 1–3.^[11]

Prior to the start of Stage 4, which would include the implementation of an enforced 2-2-2 role lock by the League, the Fusion traded main tank Joona "Fragi" Laine to the Guangzhou Charge in exchange for DPS Finley "Kyb" Adisi.^[12] Philadelphia finished the regular season in 10th place in the season standings with a 15–13 record and qualified for the Play-In Tournament.^[13]

Postseason

Finishing in tenth place in the regular season standings, the Dragons qualified for the Play-In Tournament for the chance to qualify for the season playoffs. The team took on the eleventh-seeded Shanghai Dragons in the first round on August 30. The Dragon jumped out to an early 2–0 lead after winning on Busan and King's Row, but after the match break, Philadelphia forced a tie on Temple of Anubis and won on Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Shanghai recovered and took a win on Lijiang Tower, but the Fusion struck back with a win on King's Row. The Fusion selected Dorado for what would be the final map of the series; both teams completed the map on their respective attacks, but the Dragons managed to grab the map win in overtime rounds. The 2–4 loss eliminated the Fusion from playoff contention.^[14]

Final roster

2019 Philadelphia Fusion roster
Players	Coaches
Role No. Handle Name Nationality Damage 3 snillo (TW) Ekström, Simon Sweden Damage 15 Eqo Corona, Josue Israel Damage 18 Carpe Lee Jae-hyeok South Korea Damage 1 Kyb Adisi, Finley United Kingdom Tank 9 SADO Kim Su-min South Korea Tank 21 Poko Gouzerch, Gael France Support 8 neptuNo González, Alberto Spain Support 17 Elk (TW,I) Gallagher, Elijah United States Support 42 Boombox Charles, Isaac United Kingdom	Head coach Go Se-hwi Elliot Hayes
Legend: (I) Inactive (S) Suspended (2W) Two-way player Substitute Injury / Illness	Latest roster transaction: July 17, 2019.

Transactions

Transactions of/for players on the roster during the 2019 regular season:

• On July 17, Fusion traded Joona "Fragi" Laine to Guangzhou Charge in exchange for Finley "Kyb" Adisi.^[12]

Standings

Record by stage

Stage	Pld	W	L	Pct	MW	ML	MT	MD	Pos
1	7	5	2	.714	17	12	1	+5	3
2	7	3	4	.429	12	15	1	-3	11
3	7	4	3	.571	13	16	1	-3	11
4[a]	7	3	4	.429	15	17	0	-2	12
Overall	28	15	13	.536	57	60	3	-3	10
Qualified for playoffs •   Qualified for play-in tournament

1. No stage playoffs were held for Stage 4.

League

Pos	Div	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	PCT	MW	ML	MT	MD	Qualification
1	PAC	Vancouver Titans	28	25	3	0.893	89	28	0	+61	Advance to season playoffs (division leaders)
2	ATL	New York Excelsior	28	22	6	0.786	78	38	3	+40
3	PAC	San Francisco Shock	28	23	5	0.821	92	26	0	+66	Advance to season playoffs
4	PAC	Hangzhou Spark	28	18	10	0.643	64	52	4	+12
5	PAC	Los Angeles Gladiators	28	17	11	0.607	67	48	3	+19
6	ATL	Atlanta Reign	28	16	12	0.571	69	50	1	+19
7	ATL	London Spitfire	28	16	12	0.571	58	52	6	+6	Advance to play-ins
8	PAC	Seoul Dynasty	28	15	13	0.536	64	50	3	+14
9	PAC	Guangzhou Charge	28	15	13	0.536	61	57	1	+4
10	ATL	Philadelphia Fusion	28	15	13	0.536	57	60	3	−3
11	PAC	Shanghai Dragons	28	13	15	0.464	51	61	3	−10
12	PAC	Chengdu Hunters	28	13	15	0.464	55	66	1	−11
13	PAC	Los Angeles Valiant	28	12	16	0.429	56	61	4	−5
14	ATL	Paris Eternal	28	11	17	0.393	46	67	3	−21
15	PAC	Dallas Fuel	28	10	18	0.357	43	70	3	−27
16	ATL	Houston Outlaws	28	9	19	0.321	47	69	3	−22
17	ATL	Toronto Defiant	28	8	20	0.286	39	72	4	−33
18	ATL	Washington Justice	28	8	20	0.286	39	72	6	−33
19	ATL	Boston Uprising	28	8	20	0.286	41	78	2	−37
20	ATL	Florida Mayhem	28	6	22	0.214	36	75	5	−39

Source: The Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) winning percentage; 2) map differential; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head map differential

Game log

Regular season

2019 game log (Regular season record: 15–13)
Stage 1 (5–2) 1 February 14 Philadelphia Fusion 3 – 1 London Spitfire Burbank, CA      Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Ilios 1 3 Hollywood 2 4 Volskaya Industries 5 1 Rialto 0 2 February 17 Philadelphia Fusion 3 – 2 Atlanta Reign Burbank, CA      Recap Blizzard Arena   1 Nepal 2 2 King's Row 1 4 Volskaya Industries 5 2 Dorado 1 2 Ilios 1 3 February 21 Philadelphia Fusion 1 – 2 Florida Mayhem Burbank, CA      Recap Blizzard Arena   0 Nepal 2 4 Numbani 3 4 Temple of Anubis 4 0 Route 66 1 4 February 23 Philadelphia Fusion 1 – 3 Dallas Fuel Burbank, CA      Recap Blizzard Arena   0 Busan 2 1 Numbani 3 4 Horizon Lunar Colony 3 2 Dorado 3 5 February 28 Washington Justice 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA      Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Ilios 1 1 Hollywood 2 3 Temple of Anubis 4 1 Route 66 3 6 March 07 Los Angeles Valiant 2 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA      Recap Blizzard Arena   0 Nepal 2 2 Numbani 3 2 Temple of Anubis 1 3 Route 66 0 1 Busan 2 7 March 17 Philadelphia Fusion 3 – 1 Paris Eternal Burbank, CA      Recap Blizzard Arena   1 Busan 2 3 King's Row 2 1 Horizon Lunar Colony 0 3 Rialto 0
Stage 1 Playoffs Quarterfinals March 22 Atlanta Reign 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   6:00 pm PST    Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Ilios 1 1 King's Row 2 3 Volskaya Industries 4 1 Route 66 2 Semifinals March 23 San Francisco Shock 4 – 0 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   3:00 pm PST    Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Ilios 0 3 Hollywood 0 4 Horizon Lunar Colony 2 3 Rialto 0
Stage 2 (3–4) 8 April 04 Philadelphia Fusion 0 – 4 New York Excelsior Burbank, CA   4:00 pm PST    Recap Blizzard Arena   0 Lijang Tower 2 1 Paris 2 2 Eichenwalde 3 1 Rialto 3 9 April 06 Florida Mayhem 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   12:00 noon PST    Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Oasis 0 2 Temple of Anubis 3 3 King's Row 4 4 Junkertown 5 10 April 11 Toronto Defiant 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   8:30 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   0 Busan 2 4 Paris 3 2 Blizzard World 3 2 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 3 11 April 13 London Spitfire 2 – 1 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   12:00 noon PST    Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Lijiang Tower 1 2 Hanamura 2 3 Blizzard World 4 3 Rialto 2 12 April 18 New York Excelsior 3 – 1 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   4:00 pm PST    Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Busan 0 3 Temple of Anubis 2 2 Blizzard World 3 1 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 0 13 April 19 Philadelphia Fusion 4 – 0 Houston Outlaws Burbank, CA   5:30 pm PST    Recap Blizzard Arena   2 Busan 1 3 Temple of Anubis 2 2 Eichenwalde 0 3 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 0 14 May 02 Philadelphia Fusion 0 – 4 San Francisco Shock Burbank, CA   7:00 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   1 Oasis 2 1 Hanamura 2 1 King's Row 3 0 Junkertown 3
Stage 3 (4–3) 15 June 08 Hangzhou Spark 4 – 0 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   12:00 noon PST    Details Blizzard Arena   2 Oasis 0 2 Paris 1 3 Eichenwalde 0 3 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 2 16 June 14 Los Angeles Gladiators 3 – 1 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   9:15 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   2 Oasis 0 6 Volskaya Industries 5 2 Eichenwalde 1 1 Dorado 2 17 June 16 Philadelphia Fusion 2 – 1 Boston Uprising Burbank, CA   3:30 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   0 Ilios 2 4 Paris 4 1 Hollywood 0 1 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 0 18 June 22 Atlanta Reign 2 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   1:45 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   2 Nepal 1 1 Horizon Lunar Colony 2 0 Numbani 2 2 Havana 1 0 Ilios 2 19 June 29 Boston Uprising 2 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   1:45 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   0 Nepal 2 2 Horizon Lunar Colony 1 0 Numbani 1 2 Havana 1 1 Ilios 2 20 July 06 Philadelphia Fusion 3 – 1 Washington Justice Atlanta, GA   10:15 am PST    Details Cobb Energy Center   1 Ilios 2 3 Horizon Lunar Colony 2 3 Hollywood 1 3 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 2 21 July 07 Philadelphia Fusion 1 – 3 Shanghai Dragons Atlanta, GA   9:00 am PST    Details Cobb Energy Center   1 Ilios 2 3 Volskaya Industries 4 4 Hollywood 3 0 Dorado 2
Stage 4 (3–4) 22 July 25 Guangzhou Charge 3 – 2 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   7:10 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   0 Busan 2 2 Volskaya Industries 1 4 King's Row 3 3 Junkertown 4 2 Ilios 0 23 July 26 Philadelphia Fusion 2 – 3 Chengdu Hunters Burbank, CA   9:15 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   0 Busan 2 3 Hanamura 2 2 Blizzard World 3 2 Junkertown 1 1 Ilios 2 24 August 02 Houston Outlaws 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   5:45 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   0 Ilios 2 2 Temple of Anubis 1 1 Hollywood 2 3 Havana 6 25 August 04 Philadelphia Fusion 3 – 2 Toronto Defiant Burbank, CA   1:45 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   2 Lijiang Tower 0 0 Volskaya Industries 1 0 King's Row 1 3 Havana 2 2 Busan 0 26 August 08 Paris Eternal 3 – 2 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   5:45 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   1 Ilios 2 1 Temple of Anubis 2 2 Hollywood 1 3 Route 66 2 2 Lijiang Towe 1 27 August 11 Philadelphia Fusion 0 – 4 Vancouver Titans Burbank, CA   12:00 noon PST    Details Blizzard Arena   1 Busan 2 2 Hanamura 3 1 Blizzard World 3 0 Route 66 3 28 August 17 Seoul Dynasty 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   3:30 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   1 Lijiang Tower 2 1 Volskaya Industries 0 2 Blizzard World 3 1 Havana 2

Playoffs

2019 playoff game log
Play-In Tournament (0–1) Quarterfinals August 30 Shanghai Dragons 4 – 2 Philadelphia Fusion Burbank, CA   9:00 pm PST    Details Blizzard Arena   2 Busan 1 5 King's Row 4 3 Temple of Anubis 3 3 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 4 2 Lijiang Tower 1 1 King's Row 3 5 Dorado 4

Awards

On May 1, Lee "Carpe" Jae-hyeok was named as a starter for the 2019 Overwatch League All-Star Game.^[15] A week later Gael "Poko" Gouzerch was named as a reserve for the All-Star Game.^[16]