Overwatch veterans Choi “Hotba” Hong-joon and Yang “Tobi” Jin-mo will remain with the Philadelphia Fusion for the rest of the season, the team announced today.
Hotba and Tobi joined the Fusion before the 2021 Overwatch League season started to fill in for the team’s regular starters, Gael “Poko” Gouzerch and Daniel “FunnyAstro” Hathaway, who were unable to join the squad in Korea due to visa issues.
The ongoing visa issues affecting Poko, FunnyAstro, and damage player Niclas “sHockWave” Smidt have forced the team to sign Tobi and Hotba for the rest of the season.
The veteran pair performed well during the May Melee qualifiers, helping the Fusion go 4-0 before losing to the Shanghai Dragons in a classic six-map series. Despite the loss, the Fusion answered a lot of questions from concerned fans worried about a possible lack of synergy due to losing two starters.
The pair of veterans have been in the Overwatch League since the inaugural season and were able to integrate into the team immediately. In week one, the Fusion defeated the Seoul Dynasty and Los Angeles Valiant. The team’s newest additions didn’t miss a step.
Tobi is a strong veteran main support lining up next to the team’s superstar flex support, Kim “Alarm” Kyung-bo. Tobi played for the Seoul Dynasty during the first three seasons before being dropped this past offseason.
Hotba is one of the original Fusion players who was on the team’s season one Grand Finals roster. Since then, he’s played for the Guangzhou Charge and New York Excelsior. His aggressive style has been hit or miss over the last two years.
While on the Charge, he was a major contributor to the team’s 15-13 season. But his tenure with the Excelsior was underwhelming and he ended up being benched in favor of the team’s current off-tank, Kim “Bianca” Dong-wook.
The Fusion return to action on May 22 when the squad will face the New York Excelsior at 7am CT.
