Los Angeles Gladiators
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| Founded | 2 November 2017 |
|---|---|
| League | Overwatch League |
| Division | Pacific |
| Team history |
LA Gladiators 2017-present |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Colors | White, purple, black |
| Owner | Stan Kroenke Josh Kroenke |
| Head coach | David "Dpei" Pei |
| General manager | Kevin "Kez" Jeon |
The Los Angeles Gladiators are an American professional Overwatch esports team based in Los Angeles, California. The Gladiators compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member club of the league's Pacific Division. The team is one of twelve founding members of the OWL. The franchise was originally announced by Activision Blizzard as the ninth OWL franchise and the second OWL team based in Los Angeles. It was also announced that the franchise would be owned by Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke. The team's name and branding were officially unveiled on November 2nd, 2017, and they became the twelfth and final OWL team.
After weeks of speculation following the announcement of the first seven Overwatch League teams, on August 10th, Blizzard officially announced that Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke had acquired the second Los Angeles OWL franchise spot, making them one of twelve teams competing in the inaugural season. On November 2nd, the franchise name was revealed as the Los Angeles Gladiators. On October 5th, ESPN reported that Phoenix1, previously known for their League of Legends team, would be operating the LA Gladiators team. The roster, which included a conglomeration of players from several previous professional Overwatch esports teams, including Cloud9, Kungarna, Counter Logic Gaming, Team Giganti, and CONBOX, was finally revealed along with the official franchise branding on November 2nd.
In December 2017, the Gladiators will take part in the OWL preseason, before starting the inaugural season in January 2018.
On November 2, 2017, the Los Angeles Gladiators brand was officially unveiled. The creation stemmed from the OWL requirement for participating franchises to create new geolocated brands, as well as business entities, specific to the league.
Josh Kroenke, co-owner of the team, said that they chose the name in the 'spirit' of the original gladiators. "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."
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