Chengdu Hunters revealed as fifth new Overwatch League franchise

12 November 2018

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Chengdu Hunters is the fifth of eight expansion franchises in the Overwatch League to be officially revealed to the world.

Owned by livestreaming platform HUYA Inc., the Chengdu Hunters is the second Chinese expansion team to be announced ahead of the second season. HUYA Inc. has partnered with Chinese esports organisation Royal Never Give Up (RNG) to assist with operations.

Chengdu Hunters

The official logo for the Chengdu Hunters is a mean-looking Panda, a symbol of the location that the team will represent.  The colours of the newly-announced brand are orange, gold, and black which represent – according to the announcement – vigor, calmness, and steadiness.

Wu Zefeng, General Manager of Game Broadcasting Business at HUYA Inc discussed the brand in a statement: “The Overwatch League is an international league, and the Chengdu Hunters will not only impress the gaming world with their excellent performance but also will bring to the league more Chinese elements, increasing our diversity. The name, Chengdu Hunters, means bravery, smartness, swiftness, and team work; the name was chosen as a symbol of the team’s dedication to pursuing the honor of the league.

“Further, we chose the giant panda as the team’s logo because it is the national treasure of China, the symbol of Chengdu, and a symbol of peace and good luck. At the same time, the panda also boasts powerful fighting strength and represents the Chinese spirit of perseverance, and collectively with the team’s name, represents the team’s determination to achieve victory.”

In October, both the Atlanta Reign and the Toronto Defiant were presented to the world. In November so far, both the Paris Eternal and Guangzhou Charge have been unveiled. Now Chengdu has made itself known, three more franchises are left to be revealed: Hangzhou, Vancouver, and Washington.

The second season of the Overwatch League commences on February 14th, with teams now only playing 28 matches instead of the 40 that were played by each side during the inaugural season.

Esports Insider says: Nothing says you’re a team full of hunters quite like being represented by one of the cutest animals on the face of the planet. The logo itself is more imaginative than that of Guangzhou Charge, and it’s nice to see colours other than red and blue – the other announced expansion teams have seemingly filled that quota. Bringing in RNG to assist with running the team is a very solid move, too.

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