The Overwatch League franchise Philadelphia Fusion has announced changes to their coaching staff with the departure of Yann “Kirby” Luu. With the Houston Outlaws also recently releasing two coaches, many more roster changes will no doubt happen during the Overwatch League offseason.
I am no longer with @Fusion @T1
— Yann Luu (@yannluu) September 23, 2019
Kirby and the Philadelphia Fusion
Kirby began his competitive career as a coach in 2017 for European team Pale Golden Rod. He later coached for organizations like The Chavs, Hammers Esports, and 123 before joining the Fusion. Kirby held their Head Coach position in the Inaugural Overwatch League season.
The team went on to place 6th in the Overwatch League Inaugural Season. The organization then placed 2nd in the Playoffs to take home $400,000 after losing to the London Spitfire. However, Kirby later transitioned to a Director of Overwatch Operations role for Season 2. This was after news that Sehwi “NamedHwi” Go and Elliot “Hayes” Hayes would be promoted to co-head coach positions. Christopher “ChrisTFer” Graham later joined as an Assistant Coach in 2019.
Overwatch League
News that the Fusion Arena would be built with a $50 million USD investment surfaced in March of this year. One would think the Philadelphia Fusion is considered a top tier team if it was getting its own stadium. However, the organization ended the Regular Season in a 10th place finish, with 15 wins and 13 losses. The team then tied for last with the Chengdu Hunters in the 2019 Overwatch League Playoffs.
No further information has been released by either the Philadelphia Fusion or Kirby himself about his future plans. The Fusion has announced that their new Fusion Arena stadium will have a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept 25 at 1:30 p.m. EST as construction begins.
The 2020 Overwatch League season will require teams to host a certain amount of home and away games. As teams prepare for the change of scene, some players may also need to move to new organizations.
Who do you predict will win the upcoming Overwatch League Grand Finals between the Vancouver Titans and San Francisco Shock? Let us know in the comments.
