The Call of Duty League’s Seattle franchise has officially unveiled their team name and branding, confirming the team will be playing under the Seattle Surge banner for the upcoming 2020 season.
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The Surge had already revealed the entirety of its star-studded 2020 roster, including three-time world champion Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, SMG prodigy Bryan ‘Apathy‘ Zhelyazkov, and former 100 Thieves stars Ian ‘Enable‘ Wyatt and Sam ‘Octane‘ Larew.
The organization, whose debut lineup boasts 54 major tournament victories among them, had yet to reveal what logo, colors, and even team name its top-tier roster would be playing under, though rumors had already suggested Surge would be the final choice.
On October 30, Seattle confirmed that they had chosen the sea-themed brand, locking in ‘Seattle Surge’ as their franchise name and revealing a stormy sea-engulfed trident as their team logo for the 2020 campaign. The team makes use of deep blues for their primary colors to stay close to the oceanic theme, and will be using the tagline “Drown Them Out.”
The organization explained that they were looking to “emphasize the Pacific Northwest’s natural surroundings,” and aimed to highlight “colors, geographical elements, and folklore associated with the Emerald City, and the Pacific Ocean.”
“Our logo pays homage to Poseidon, the mythical God of Sea and Storms. Within the primary logo of a contemporary trident, Poseidon can be found by the inclusion of turquoise eyes. The logo is completed by a nod to our hometown city with the inclusion of the top of the iconic Space Needle,” the website’s description reads.
Brace yourself, for the Surge.#DrownThemOut :ocean: pic.twitter.com/7T70neGxIN
— Seattle Surge (@SeattleSurge) October 30, 2019
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Seattle’s ocean-based theme is the second watery logo to be revealed for the 2020 CDL season, with the Florida Mutineers already laying claim to a Davey Jones-styled brand, based around the “history of pirates off the Flordia coast.”
As pointed out by the London Royal Ravens’ twitter account, the ocean themes mean the Surge and Mutineers could lean heavily into the “Champions of the Ocean” rivalry when they first meet, though the Surge suggested “Champions of the World has a nicer ring to it.”
Champions of the World has a nicer ring to it. https://t.co/a54BDGwMcG
— Seattle Surge (@SeattleSurge) October 30, 2019
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The Surge’s announcement means just two CDL franchises have yet to lift the lid on their official branding and logos, with NRG Esports’ Chicago and Misfit Gaming’s Paris still to be confirmed.
The Royal Ravens, Mutineers, Toronto Ultra, New York Subliners, Dallas Empire, Atlanta FaZe, Los Angeles OpTic, Los Angeles Guerrillas, and Minnesota RøKKR have already made their announcements, with some receiving mixed feedback on their brands.
While the excitement of the 2020 CDL season continues to build with the host of roster and brand reveals, there’s still a little way to go yet before we see the 12 inaugural franchises duke it out in competitive matches, with the first fixtures confirmed for Jan. 24 to 26.
You can keep track of all offseason roster changes and player signings with our dedicated Call of Duty League offseason RosterMania hub.
